Trudeau says sorry for sarcastic thank you comment to Indigenous protester
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who typically takes a more deferential, let’s-talk approach when protesters get in his face, found himself delivering a rare and rapid apology Thursday for his sarcastic retort to an Indigenous heckler who interrupted his remarks during a high-end fundraising event.
Trudeau said he’s sorry for how he responded to the previous night’s protester, who unfurled a banner at the foot of the stage during a $1,500-a-ticket fundraiser in Toronto in an effort to draw attention to the impact of mercury poisoning in the northern Ontario community of Grassy Narrows First Nation.
“Thank you for your donation,” Trudeau told the woman as she was escorted out by security. “I really appreciate your donation to the Liberal Party of Canada.”
Others in the audience cheered the prime minister’s dismissive remark, which was captured by cellphone cameras and quickly circulated on social media Wednesday night.