Immediately after a large demonstration opposing the Covid vaccine mandates converged on Parliament Hill on Saturday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family left their home in the capital to relocate to a secret location, media reports said.

A small protest against a vaccination requirement for cross-border truckers, known as Freedom Convoy, has grown into a large demonstration opposing coronavirus regulations by the Trudeau government. Canada's Broadcasting Corporation reported that thousands of truckers and other protesters took to the streets of the capital city on Saturday to demand an end to vaccination mandates and other restrictions on public health.

There were some parents with their kids, elderly people, and people with disabilities. According to The Globe and Mail, some people held signs with offensive and obscenity-laced statements directed mostly at the Canadian prime minister. Canada's top soldier Gen. Wayne Eyre and Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand condemned the protesters for dancing on the memorial, which was accompanied by music.

Despite an extreme cold warning, hundreds of protesters flooded the parliamentary precinct, causing police to be on high alert for violence.

The PM and his family are no longer at their home in Rideau Cottage roughly four kilometres from the epicentre of the protest. Though his itinerary, which normally lists the city where he's staying, confirmed that he's in the "national capital region."

"I am sickened to see protesters dance on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and desecrate the National War Memorial. Generations of Canadians have fought and died for our rights, including free speech, but not this. Those involved should hang their heads in shame," General Wayne Eyre tweeted.

Anita Anand also condemned this incident saying this "behaviour we're seeing today is beyond reprehensible. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and National War Memorial are sacred sites for our country. I urge all Canadians to treat them with solemnity, out of respect for those who have fought and died for Canada," she said.

Approximately 10,000 people were expected to attend by the end of the day, according to the police. There was no official estimate of the crowd size by Saturday evening, according to media reports.

Earlier this week, Trudeau told media he was concerned the protest would turn violent, but added that the convoy represented a "small fringe minority" that "does not reflect the views of Canadians."

Image source: Business standard