‘Mindless Mobs’: London, Ontario. Mayor Condemns Hospital Protests During COVID-19 Briefing – London | The Canadian News

London Mayor Ed Holder criticized those gathering outside Canadian hospitals to protest COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine mandates, describing them on Monday as “mindless mobs” harassing workers in health.

“It is an absolutely shameful development and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms. Our health care heroes are already stressed enough – innocent and vulnerable patients who only seek comfort and treatment, “Holder said during a virtual press conference on the pandemic.

“I say to those mindless mobs: how dare they? Let us leave our health professionals alone, because harassing them does nothing ”.

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Holder made the remarks as dozens of people began to descend on the northeast corner of Commissioners and Wellington roads, outside the London Health Sciences Center, to protest vaccine mandates and other public health restrictions implemented during the pandemic.

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Approximately 200 people were estimated to be in attendance, waving signs and requesting honks of support from passing motorists. A similar protest was held outside the hospital a week ago.

Other demonstrations were scheduled across the country, including outside the McGill University Health Center, the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, and the Manitoba Legislative Building in Winnipeg.

Dozens gathered outside Toronto General Hospital, many to condemn Ontario’s trial of vaccination system that is scheduled to go into effect next week.

The demonstrations were organized by a group calling itself the Canadian Frontline Nurses, which billed them as “silent vigils.”

The group said they wanted to take a position against what they called “tyrannical measures and government overreach,” adding that they were not encouraging nurses to leave their shifts or abandon patients.

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“I spoke to members of the London Police Service who assured me that they will be on site at LHSC to monitor activity and enforce the law while ensuring that staff and patients are not hindered or delayed in their movements,” Holder said. during the 2 pm briefing.

“The ultimate irony is when members of this ignorant mob inevitably fall ill with COVID… it is the people they are harassing… who will treat them with kindness, compassion and professionalism. It would be nice if those courtesies were a two-way street. “

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In a statement prior to the rally, the London Health Sciences Center confirmed that security would be improved in response.

“While the organizers are promoting this as a ‘Silent Vigil,’ we cannot ignore how vocal the past protest was and the negativity directed at our healthcare providers,” the statement read.

“While we respect the right to freedom of expression, our patients and staff have the same right to seek and provide health care without harassment. We kindly remind protesters to keep a respectful distance and not trespass on hospital property. “

The protest comes two weeks after LHSC announced that it would implement a mandatory vaccination policy for doctors, staff, volunteers, students, contractors, and cross-designated staff. All those affected must complete their vaccination regimen and the two-week waiting period no later than October 22.

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Those who fail to comply will face disciplinary action up to and including termination, according to LHSC Acting President and CEO Dr. Jackie Schleifer Taylor.

The organization has said it will not accept frequent testing as an alternative to vaccination after October 22, unless the staff member has an exemption.

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The group at the center of the protests, Canadian Frontline Nurses, has a notable local connection. Among its main organizers is Kristen Nagle, who until January had been employed as a registered nurse in the LHSC neonatal intensive care unit.

Nagle was among those present at Monday’s rally in London, as was Henry Hildebrant, pastor of the Aylmer Church of God, who has become a leading critic of pandemic restrictions.

“We are definitely in no way here to interfere with hospital access or impede health or any kind of treatment,” Nagle told 980 CFPL.

“But we are in a very drastic time right now and they are not listening to us,” he said, adding that they have written letters, made phone calls, and appeared at city hall and other government buildings to call for vaccine mandates such as The tax. by LHSC in which workers face possible termination for not receiving the vaccine.

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“It seems that going in front of the hospitals is a place where… they are finally noticing us. Unfortunately, it is turning very negatively against us, and what we are defending is being completely lost. “

Nagle has been a regular presence at anti-lockdown and anti-restriction rallies since the fall.

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In January, LHSC confirmed that it had placed Nagle on unpaid leave after the organization learned of actions involving it “that were not aligned with LHSC’s values.”

The LHSC would not say what motivated Nagle to obtain an unpaid leave and when the license was enacted. Following an internal investigation, LHSC announced on January 18 that it had fired Nagle for cause. No further information was released.

Two weeks before LHSC fired her, Nagle and another Canadian nurse, Sarah Choujounian, attended and spoke at an anti-blockade rally in Washington, DC, on January 6, the same day that supporters of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, stormed the Capitol. .

An online petition in support of Nagle later stated that she was not part of the Capitol incident and was in DC for a summit outside the United States Supreme Court by the Global Frontline Nurses group, of which Nagle and Choujounian are listed as founders members.

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On November 22, 2020, Nagle received two charges under the Ontario Reopening Act, including one charge related to organizing a public event where attendance exceeded outdoor limits. The date coincides with an anti-blockade rally held in Victoria Park. Two others were also charged.

As of Monday, Nagle is still on the list in the Ontario College of Nurses (CNO) database as a right to practice without restriction. The CNO confirmed to Global News earlier this year that it was investigating Nagle, but was unable to provide further information.

In a brief statement on Monday, CNO reiterated that it was investigating Nagle, but added that “the legislation does not allow us to provide details on the progress or the ongoing status of the investigations.”


Click to play video: 'COVID-19: Singh Says Hospitals' Are Not A Place To Protest 'As Demonstrations Block Access To Healthcare'



COVID-19: Singh Says Hospitals ‘Not A Place To Protest’ As Demonstrations Block Access To Healthcare


COVID-19: Singh Says Hospitals ‘Not A Place To Protest’ As Demonstrations Block Access To Healthcare

The planned hospital protests across the country have drawn harsh criticism from health associations and politicians at all levels.

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The Ontario Registered Nurses Association and the Ontario Medical Association issued a joint statement “strongly condemning” the planned outages and called for designated safe zones around health care facilities to protect staff and patients, a proposal that New Democrats of the province have also raised.

Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford condemned the protests in a cheep On Sunday, describing participants as “selfish, cowardly and reckless,” while Christine Elliott, the province’s health minister, tweeted that she was “extremely disappointed to see that our hospitals and our staff were the target of protests after all their sacrifice during the pandemic.”

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Both the new federal Democrats and the Liberals made identical promises Monday to criminalize protesters who block hospitals or harass healthcare workers.

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said his party would make it a federal crime to harass or obstruct a person’s access to health care.

Conservative leader Erin O’Toole called the demonstrations “totally unacceptable.”

“We all owe a huge debt of thanks to our front line,” he said. “We have to work together in a time of crisis to fight COVID-19 together.”

Liberal leader Trudeau said it was necessary to protect doctors and nurses in a way similar to how people in the judicial system are protected from intimidation.

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“It is not cool to know that a nurse who walks into a late shift crossing a parking lot may be afraid that someone is there to spit on her or yell obscenities at her,” Trudeau told reporters in Vancouver.


Click to play video: 'Elections in Canada: Trudeau says it would be a crime to block hospitals and intimidate healthcare workers'



Canadian elections: Trudeau says it would be a crime to block hospitals and intimidate healthcare workers


Canadian elections: Trudeau says it would be a crime to block hospitals and intimidate healthcare workers

Protesters against vaccines and masks have persecuted Trudeau throughout the campaign, even throwing him with gravel during a stop in London, after he promised to go ahead with mandatory vaccination rules for travelers.

Shane Marshall, 25, of St. Thomas faces a charge of assault with a weapon in the gravel throwing incident. Marshall was dominated by the People’s Party of Canada as president of their Elgin-Middlesex-London riding association.

—With files from Andrew Graham, Scott Monich, and The Canadian Press

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