Leader of Canada’s Conservatives Andrew Scheer arrives for a meeting with the editorial board of the Vancouver Sun as he campaigns for the upcoming election in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada October 12, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio
October 13, 2019
By Stephane Mahe
MISSISSAUGA, Toronto (Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau donned a bulletproof vest for an election campaign rally on Saturday, a Reuters eyewitness said, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. cited sources saying a security threat had been received.
Pictures taken by Reuters photographer Stephane Mahe at the event in the Ontario city of Mississauga outside Toronto showed Trudeau wearing bulky protection under his shirt.
Police also surrounded Trudeau on stage for the first time since the start of a six-week election campaign leading up to what polls suggest will be a closely contested vote on Oct. 21.
CBC cited unnamed sources inside Trudeau’s Liberal Party as saying he donned the bulletproof vest after the campaign received a threat.
Liberal spokeswoman Zita Astravas declined to comment on Trudeau’s security arrangements. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police were not immediately available for comment.
Trudeau, who arrived 90 minutes late for the event, addressed the rally without incident.
(Writing by David Ljunggren; Additional reporting by Kelsey Johnson; Editing by David Gregorio and Daniel Wallis)
