Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shut down a woman who heckled him about illegal immigration, telling her that “racism has no place” in Canada.

Trudeau was at a rally on Thursday in Sabrevois, Quebec, when a woman began shouting at him in French. The incident was caught on video and later reported by Vice News.

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“I want to know when you are going to refund the $146 million we paid for your illegal immigrants,” the woman yelled, according to Vice's translation.

“OK, madame,” Trudeau responded in French. “This intolerance towards immigrants has no room in Canada.”

Trudeau continued with his speech, talking about how Canada was built by groups of immigrants, as the crowd erupted into cheers.

The same woman then approached Trudeau as he was stepping off the stage.

She asked him if he was tolerant toward Québécois.

Trudeau, flanked by security guards, told her that he was a proud Québécois. “Racism has no place here,” the prime minister told her, according to the translation of the video.

The Trudeau's office did not immediately provide a response when asked for a comment from Vice News on Sunday.

Trudeau has been quick to condemn racism in the past, offering support to Charlottesville, Va., last year after the deadly white supremacist rally there.

"We know Canada isn't immune to racist violence & hate. We condemn it in all its forms & send support to the victims in Charlottesville," Trudeau said in a tweet.

President Trump Donald John TrumpTrump awards Medal of Valor, civilian honors to responders in Dayton and El Paso shootings Texas Democrats unveil 'path to victory' plan for 2020 The Hill's 12:30 Report: Congress returns with gun violence, funding atop agenda MORE’s crackdown on illegal immigration has reportedly led to a wave of immigrants crossing the northern border into Canada.

More than 20,000 people, many fearing that the Trump administration would deport them, crossed the border into Canada in search of asylum in 2017, Reuters reported in March.

Following Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy, the number of irregular border crossers spiked in July, Vice News reported.

There were 1,634 people intercepted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in July, up from 1,263 people who crossed in June, according to government numbers.

The Canadian government has responded to the influx of asylum seekers by budgeting an additional $173 million for security along the U.S.-Canada border, the outlet noted.

That funding will also provide temporary housing and assist the Immigration and Refugee Board with the influx of cases.</s>Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to heckling about irregular border crossers by telling a woman, “Your racism has no place here.”

Trudeau made the remarks after the woman interrupted him during an event in Quebec on Thursday to ask when the federal government would repay the province for the $146 million that Quebec says it has cost to handle an influx of asylum seekers.

READ MORE: Ottawa to give $50M to Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba for asylum seeker costs

Although the event happened Thursday evening, it was captured on camera and is now picking up steam online, with one of the original Facebook posts racking up more than 303,000 views.

In it, the woman can be heard asking in French about when Quebec will get the money. The province has been the entry point for the majority of asylum seekers to Canada so far this year. Ottawa has said it will give the province $36 million, while Ontario will get $11 million and Manitoba will get $3 million.

In response, Trudeau lectures the woman about political etiquette.

“One of the important things in politics is to listen,” he tells her. Shortly after, he remarks repeatedly on her “intolerant” views.

READ MORE: Reality check: Is Canada facing an asylum seeker ‘crisis?’

After the event, the woman approaches Trudeau while he’s mingling with the crowd and asks if he’s tolerant of Quebecois. To that, the prime minister says he is “proud Quebecois.”

Trudeau addressed the comments at an Ottawa event on Monday morning, speaking about intolerance and immigration.

“I will not flinch from highlighting when the politics of division, of fear, of spreading misinformation is actually harming the fabric of this country,” he said.

“The fact is, we have a situation where there are irregular arrivals coming across our border into Canada,” Trudeau said, noting each person is being processed in a way that is “100 per cent consistent” with the country’s existing immigration system.

For months, debate has been raging over whether asylum seekers who cross between designated checkpoints should be referred to as “illegal” or “irregular.”

READ MORE: ‘Illegal’ or ‘irregular’? Debate about asylum-seekers needs to stop, experts warn

While some politicians, including Lisa MacLeod, Ontario’s minister responsible for immigration, use the term illegal, experts have made it clear that Canada’s own Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) allows for such crossings.

“There’s nothing illegal when you come and you cross an international border to claim asylum,” Jean-Nicolas Beuze, a representative from the UN High Commission on Refugees, told Global News last month.

Tempers flare at immigration committee, officials reveal asylum seekers to be moved to hotels An asylum seeker’s story: adjusting to life in Canada

The latest figures show the number of irregular border crossings went up in July following two straight months of decline. Federal data indicates the RCMP apprehended 1,634 migrants between official crossings in July, 371 more than they apprehended in June. However, overall, the numbers are still lower than they were in the spring and much lower than the totals for July 2017.

“While these [latest] numbers are promising, Canadians expect all levels of government to work together to live up to our international and humanitarian obligations,” said Mathieu Genest, spokesperson for Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen.



— with a file from The Canadian Press</s>OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is defending his treatment of a Quebec woman he accused of racism, calling hate speech and the politics of division a “dangerous path” for Canada.

At a news conference today outside Ottawa, Trudeau was asked whether he went too far when he told a woman heckling him at a rally Sunday in Quebec that her “racism has no place” in Canada.

During the rally, the woman was shouting questions in French at Trudeau, asking him when the federal government would repay Quebec for costs it has incurred as a result of an influx of “illegal immigrants” coming over the Canada-U.S. border.

The prime minister responded by accusing the woman of intolerance and racism, saying such sentiments were not welcome.

Trudeau says he fears a rise in extreme populism and a polarization in the political discourse, particularly around immigration, with some feeding fear and intolerance using partial truths and “outright lies.”

He says he intends to continue to call out such behaviour.</s>Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has defended himself after accusing a woman at a political event of "racism".

Mr Trudeau was speaking at a corn roast about 50km (30 miles) south of Montreal when he was interrupted by a heckler.

A woman repeatedly shouted questions at the prime minister about costs relating to an influx of asylum seekers entering the country.

Critics have accused Mr Trudeau of going too far with his response.

The prime minister did not respond directly to the criticism on Monday, but said he will "be very clear when people are trying to push politics of fear and indeed, intolerance".

"That's something Canadians expect of me," he said.

The Canadian Press reported that Ontario's Immigration Minister, Lisa MacLeod, said on Monday that the prime minister "debases the debate that we're having" on asylum seekers in responding to critics by calling them racist or un-Canadian.

A video of the altercation, which took place last Thursday, has been widely shared online.

The clip shows a woman yelling from the back of the crowd at Mr Trudeau.

She asks whether the federal government will pay back the province of Quebec for the millions of dollars it has spent to handle thousands of asylum seekers that have crossed into the province over the past 18 months.
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Since 2017, some 30,000 migrants have crossed the border illegally into Canada, where they turn themselves over to police in order to make asylum claims.

Both the provinces of Quebec and Ontario are asking the Trudeau government to foot the entire bill for the costs related to the asylum seekers.

The woman, speaking in French, repeatedly asks Mr Trudeau when he will refund "your illegal immigrants".

He responds: "Madame, one of the important things in politics to listen."

The woman, who has not been identified, says he has not answered her question.

The back and forth continues before the prime minister snaps that "intolerance towards immigrants has no place in Canada".

She then asks whether he is tolerant of the "Quebecois de souche" (old-stock Quebecers), and approaches the prime minister as he wades through a crowd of supporters.

There, he tells her that "your racism has no place here".

She is soon approached by a police officer who asks her whether she has identification and briefly grabs her arm.

She tells him to let go and says she has the right to ask questions of the prime minister.

The woman refuses to identify herself to police and eventually walks away.

She also interacts repeatedly with the man behind the camera who is filming the entire interaction.

He is heard asking police for their badge numbers.

Unconfirmed reports online suggested members of an anti-immigrant group were planning to disrupt the event.

Mr Trudeau's comments garnered some backlash online among critics who felt he mishandled the incident.

Others were supportive of his reaction.</s>Some world leaders are hesitant to unequivocally denounce racism. Others are much more forthcoming in their fight against it and consistently so. During a rally in Sabrevois, Quebec, the prime minister of Canada was recorded responding to a heckler who kept interrupting his speech, according to The Hill. The video captured Justin Trudeau telling the heckler "racism has no place," and his general message soared: the crowd cheered loudly in response against the heckler's questions about illegal immigration.

The interaction was in French, and according to Vice News' translation, the woman shouted, “I want to know when you are going to refund the $146 million we paid for your illegal immigrants."

“Madame,” Trudeau answered in French. “This intolerance towards immigrants has no room in Canada.”

Amid the heckler's efforts to interrupt, Trudeau went on with his speech about the strength of Canada and how immigrants helped to build its foundation as the majority of the crowd clapped in support.

After Trudeau finished his speech, the woman from the crowd approached him, with many in the crowd telling her to "shut up." repeatedly asking “Mr. Trudeau, are you tolerant towards Quebecois?" Trudeau responded that her “racism has no place here” and that he’s a “proud Quebecois,” according to Vice News.

The video also captured an interaction between the heckler and an official in plain clothing, who tried to question the woman. He holds her by the arm, and the woman pushes back, accusing him of bruising her arm and breaking her bones.

“I have the right to say my opinion to Mr. Trudeau,” the woman told the officer, before yelling that she was not threatening anyone and demanding that he let her go.

Trudeau has been clear in his role as a civil rights advocate and a leader quick to denounce racism, shown in his response to the Charlotesville rally last year. According to USA Today, Trudeau had tweeted, “We know Canada isn’t immune to racist violence & hate. We condemn it in all its forms & send support to the victims in Charlottesville.”

This time around, the heckler's point of contention came from the country's more recent problem of undocumented immigrants crossing from the United States into Canada. The Trump administration's zero-tolerance policy on illegal immigration has reportedly resulted in an influx of migrants traveling across the border up north, according to The Hill. Fearing deportation under Trump, Reuters reported that upward of 20,000 people searching for asylum crossed the border illegally into Canada last year. In June, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police caught 1,263 people crossing the border, and that number grew to 1,634 people for the month of July, according to Vice News, though the overall number has been in decline for 2018.

Because of the extra costs in handling the wave of undocumented migrants — which include temporary housing and assisting the Immigration and Refugee Board with the flood of cases — the city of Quebec is sending the bill on to its federal government, asking for $146 million, the same figure that the heckler asked Trudeau about. The figure includes an estimate for associated future costs. Part of the heckler's anger may be from what's currently budgeted; according to Vice News, the province is only set to receive $36 million at this point.

Outside of Quebec, the country does have money going toward the issue in an attempt to alleviate the overwhelmed system: Canada has allowed an overall extra $173 million to bolster border security, more temporary housing, and to help with backlogged caseloads.</s>OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is defending his treatment of a Quebec woman he accused of racism, calling hate speech and the politics of division a "dangerous path" for Canada.

At a news conference today outside Ottawa, Trudeau was asked whether he went too far when he told a woman heckling him at a rally Sunday in Quebec that her "racism has no place" in Canada.

During the rally, the woman was shouting questions in French at Trudeau, asking him when the federal government would repay Quebec for costs it has incurred as a result of an influx of "illegal immigrants" coming over the Canada-U.S. border.

The prime minister responded by accusing the woman of intolerance and racism, saying such sentiments were not welcome.</s>The crowd cheered as Trudeau, 46, reaffirmed his belief in what he called "positive politics", and took jabs at Conservative leader Andrew Scheer, whom he accused of exploiting fear and division

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has formally announced his bid to run for re-election in the 2019 legislative polls. The Liberal leader announced his nomination at a party event on Sunday in Papineau, a federal electoral district in Montreal he represents, reports The Globe and Mail daily.

The crowd cheered as Trudeau, 46, reaffirmed his belief in what he called "positive politics", and took jabs at Conservative leader Andrew Scheer, whom he accused of exploiting fear and division. Trudeau also promised to tackle a number of challenges that include protecting Canada's oceans, raising the standard of living for indigenous peoples and narrowing the gap between rich and poor.

He was first elected to represent Papineau in 2008, and was re-elected in 2011 and 2015. The district has been held by the Liberals for almost 50 years, with the exception of 2006 to 2008 when it was held by the Bloc Quebecois. Trudeau, the 23rd Prime Minister of Canada and the second youngest, took office in November 2015. He has been the leader of the Liberal Party since 2013.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever</s>Trudeau's running is seen as designed to give the Liberals a lift at a time when polls show their Conservative Party opponents are hard on their heels

MONTREAL, Canada – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Sunday he will run for re-election in 2019 legislative polls.

The Liberal Party leader was officially nominated by his party in the central Montreal district of Papineau, a centrist stronghold he has represented since 2008. He was re-elected in 2011 and 2015.

He spoke of his "deep conviction that despite the politics of fear and division, staying positive, pulling people together, looking for ways to emphasize our common ground, our shared values among our differences, is the only way to build a stronger country, a stronger world."

Trudeau also promised to reduce the gap between rich and poor, and to lift up indigenous populations.

In mid-July, Trudeau reshuffled his government, setting the stage ahead of the legislative elections due to take place on October 21, 2019, amid tensions on global trade and the rise of populism.

The move appeared designed to give the Liberals a lift at a time when polls show their Conservative Party opponents are hard on their heels. – Rappler.com</s>On Sunday, Canadian Prime Misister Justin Trudeau formally announced that he will seek reelection to the office of Prime Minister in the 2019 federal elections. The announcement was made during a party event in his Montreal riding of Papineau as reported by CBC News. The Liberal leader also took the opportunity to land a few jabs at Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer. The partisan crowd cheered, wildly at times, with each jab Trudeau landed. Some of his biggest cheers, however, came when he talked about his plans for the future.

Trudeau listed two of his major initiatives, if reelected, as protecting Canada’s oceans, and raising the standard of living for indigenous people. He also addressed the need to do something about the income and wealth gap that exists between the rich and the poor. Trudeau touched on several other issues he hopes to have the opportunity to work on during a second term in office, including both domestic and foreign affairs.

As reported by The News, he also discussed the need for Canadians to recognize and strengthen their common bonds rather than emphasizing their differences, taking a not so subtle jab at U.S. President Donald Trump.

With Conservative party opponents making ground on Liberal candidates and their agenda over the past several months, particularly in issues regarding the trade war with the U.S., Trudeau has been making moves to help strengthen his reelection odds and his party. He shuffled cabinet positions in mid-July in the hopes it would address the rise of populism and ease the trade war tensions. Whether the moves will provide the desired boost to the party remains to be seen.

According to Elizabeth Kelly at Narcity, not everyone is looking forward to another term for Trudeau. She reported that the reaction to his announcement was neither surprising or exciting outside of his own party, and that even within it, not everyone is sold on him running again. She said that while some people expressed mild disappointment on social media, some got salty, and a fair portion were even downright hateful in what they posted regarding his nomination.

Some of the concerns people are expressing are the refugee crisis and trans-mountain pipeline. Despite Twitter’s reaction to Trudeau’s re-election campaign, Calculated Politics has the Liberal Party currently holding a 38 percent lead.</s>OTTAWA — Hate speech and the politics of division are creating a "dangerous path" for Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday as he vowed to steer clear of such roads and to continue calling out those who rely on "extremist" methods to make their voices heard.

Trudeau made the comments when asked whether he went too far in accusing a Quebec woman of racism and intolerance as she heckled him Sunday during a rally in Quebec.

During the rally, the woman was shouting questions in French at Trudeau, asking him when the federal government would repay Quebec for costs it has incurred as a result of an influx of "illegal immigrants" coming over the Canada-U.S. border.

The Quebec government has demanded Ottawa pay the full costs of social services provided to so-called irregular migrants who have crossed into Canada between established border crossings over the past couple of years — costs the province says have reached $146 million so far.

The prime minister responded to the woman by accusing her of intolerance and racism and saying her sentiments were not welcome.

At a groundbreaking ceremony Monday for a new Amazon distribution warehouse east of Ottawa, Trudeau said he fears a rise in extreme populism, particularly surrounding immigration issues, with some feeding fear and intolerance using partial truths and "outright lies."

"There has been a polarization in our political discourse," Trudeau said as construction machinery clattered in the background.

"And there are people who are trying to feed fears and intolerance for a broad range of reasons.... I will remain positive and remain pulling people together, pulling communities together right across this country."

Ontario's minister responsible for immigration, Lisa MacLeod, was on hand Monday for Trudeau's news conference. It's the prime minister who is creating divisions by shouting 'racism' at those who question his government's immigration policies, she said.

"I think when the prime minister, when confronted with some of the problems his government has created, turns around and fearmongers and calls people un-Canadian or racist, (he) really debases the debate that we're having."
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shuts down a woman who heckled him about illegal immigration, telling her that “racism has no place” in Canada.