Jagmeet Singh Called Trudeau's Action On Police Brutality "Shameful" & Worse Than Trump's
This isn't usually how Canada is compared to the U.S. Jagmeet Singh said that Justin Trudeau has actually done less than Donald Trump when it comes to police brutality. He even called that "shameful."
During a press conference on July 8, the NDP leader addressed his motion about recognizing systemic racism in the RCMP from last month and Trudeau's actions.
He had some sharp words for the Liberal leader.
He asked, "why is the Prime Minister, simply giving symbolic gestures and saying words instead of doing something concrete?"
That's in light of brutality from police forces and the killings of people that have happened in Canada recently, specifically with the RCMP.
"He has done less to address police brutality and violence than even Trump has done. And that is shameful," Singh said of Trudeau.
The NDP leader then called on the Prime Minister to act on the motion that he brought forward of doing something about systemic racism.
That would see a review of the RCMP budget to shift resources away from policing and into communities, review of the use of force and an emphasis on de-escalation.
"We need a review and an overhaul of the way policing is done," Singh said.
When Singh mentioned the Trudeau's "symbolic gestures" he might have been referencing when the Liberal leader took a knee during a rally in Ottawa.
With "saying words", it might have been when he said in June that systemic racism is an issue across Canada in all police forces including the RCMP.
That was after members of the force didn't acknowledge that it is present in policing.
Singh's motion about recognizing systemic racism in the RCMP didn't get unanimous consent to pass after Bloc Québécois MP Alain Therrien voted against it.
That led to the NDP leader calling him racist and getting kicked out of the House of Commons.
"This is a moment right now, this is a movement right now where we've seen people killed and brutalized by the police," Singh said. "We've seen the RCMP brutalize and kill people and specifically, Indigenous people and racialized people."
Singh also brought up Trudeau doing blackface and brownface.
"When the blackface images surfaced, the Prime Minister apologized and we were asked to judge the Prime Minister on his actions," he said.
Back then Trump commented on the incidents and said he was surprised by it.