A video of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau singing and dancing at Taylor Swift’s show caused outrage on social media. The reason was that at that time, riots occurred in the city of Montreal.
The New York Post reported that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended Taylor Swift’s concert on The Eras Tour in Toronto (Canada) on the evening of November 22.
The viral video on X shows the 1971-born politician singing and dancing to the hit You Don’t Own Me before Taylor takes the stage.
Canadian Prime Minister dances on Taylor Swift show. Video: X.
That same night, anti-NATO protesters set off smoke bombs and marched through the streets of Montreal with Palestinian flags. Rioters set cars on fire and clashed with police, according to the Montreal Gazette . They also threw small explosive devices and metal objects at police.
The incident happened about 531 km from Toronto, where Taylor’s concert took place.
The image of Mr. Trudeau dancing amid Montreal violence has sparked outrage on social media. In addition to being the head of state, Mr. Trudeau also represents a district in Montreal, where he grew up.
Don Stewart, a member of parliament for Toronto, posted a criticism of the prime minister on X: “Lawless people running through Montreal in violent protest. The prime minister is dancing. This is the Canada built by the Liberal government . Bring back the law, order, safe streets and communities in Canada that we know and love.”
Images of Prime Minister Trudeau at the Taylor Swift show were widely shared on social media. Photo: X.
Meanwhile, other netizens compared Mr Trudeau to Nero, the infamous Roman Emperor known for playing the harp while Rome burned .
Viewers commented: “Poor Canada”, “Trudeau is a joke”, “Nero in Rome, Trudeau in Montreal”, “Trudeau is playing the piano while Canada is burning. Another Emperor Nero”…
Riots broke out in Montreal at the same time as Taylor Swift’s show. Photo: X.
On November 23, Prime Minister Trudeau made an official statement about the riots: “What we saw on the streets of Montreal last night was horrifying. Acts of anti-Semitism, intimidation and violence must be condemned wherever we see them. The RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) are in contact with local police. There must be an end in sight and the rioters must be held accountable.”
Mr. Trudeau did not comment on the criticism for attending the Taylor Swift show.