Ontario Premier Doug Ford is asking both Canadians and Americans not to boo each other’s national anthems, despite Prime Minister Justin Trudeau justifying the booing amid the trade war.
Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Ford laid out Ontario’s response to a new 25 per cent tariff imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump earlier in the day.
Acknowledging the frustrations the tariffs have caused, Ford is calling for respect between Canadians and Americans.
“Please do not boo the national anthem in Canada or in the U.S,” he pleaded.
“Boo the referee, boo the players if you want. Do not boo the American national anthem, and to my American friends, do not boo the Canadian national anthem. That’s crossing the line,” Ford continued.
Ford’s remarks came shortly after the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, addressed the same issue in a news conference, where he said Canadians will likely continue to boo the U.S. national anthem due to the hurt and anger they feel.
“We’re probably going to keep booing the American anthem. Let me tell Americans; we’re not booing you, we’re not booing your teams, we’re not booing your players. We’re booing a policy that is designed to hurt us and we’re insulted, we’re angry, but we’re Canadian. Which means we’re going to stand up for each other, we’re going to fight, and we’re going to win,” Trudeau said.
Booing the national anthems at sports games has been a common occurrence on both sides of the border recently, amid heightened tensions between the countries. This includes last weekend at Toronto’s WWE Elimination Chamber event where the U.S. anthem was loudly booed by Canadian fans.
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In his press conference, Ford also defended hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, who has faced backlash on social media for his ties to Trump.
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“I talked to Wayne the other day and he was so choked up talking to me. He is a patriot, he loves Canada, he never gave up his Canadian passport. Give the guy a break,” Ford expressed.
