Jagmeet Singh Explains How He's Feeling After Being Verbally Harassed
The incident happened at a campaign rally in Ontario.
Jagmeet Singh at a campaign event in 2021.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has opened up about what happened when he was verbally harassed recently and explained how he's feeling after the incident.
At the campaign office of provincial NDP candidate Jen Deck in Peterborough, Ontario on May 10, Singh was attending a rally and was confronted by protesters outside on the sidewalk.
Videos posted on social media showed people swarming Singh as he left the campaign office. People could be heard shouting profanity including "piece of sh*t," "you're a f**king traitor" and "f**k you."
When Singh got into his vehicle, people went up to the window and continued to yell at him, with some also holding up middle fingers.
During a press conference on May 11, Singh addressed the incident and said people were "expressing displeasure" with some of his positions and they were saying "really horrible things."
"I was OK on a personal level, I was able to get into the event and out back to the vehicle without any particular issue," Singh said.
"What we're seeing is, instead of saying 'I don't like what you do,' or 'I don't agree with your decision,' they're saying 'I want you to die' or 'I hope you die,'" he continued.
He called this incident "a small minority" but said that it's still "really troubling."
The NDP leader also explained that while he's gone through situations like this before, the aggressive and violent language people used ranked this among some of the worst experiences he's had.
Later on May 11, Singh posted a statement on Twitter and thanked everyone who reached out to him after the incident.
"To those that have asked, I'm in Chardi Kala — rising spirits," he said.
Singh noted that he knows Peterborough is full of good people who want the best for each other and he'll be back.
"While disagreements are fundamental to a thriving democracy — hatred, violence and wishing death upon others threaten it," he said.
Singh said hate must always be confronted so it has no space to take hold and grow.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.