ROGER'S PASS, B.C. -- Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau faced demonstrators heaving tomatoes and protesting his extravagence during a holiday in Rockies, and responded by giving one group a single-finger salute.

Ten placard-carrying protesters positioned near a tunnel in the Roger's Pass Sunday pelted almost all the cars on a train to ensure their message hit the Governor General's rail car, in which Trudeau and his three sons were travelling.


The protesters worked at the nearby Northlander Motel and 'we're all pretty browned off' at the prime minister's handling of the economy, said Gordie Robson, owner of the motel.

Robson said the group got especially riled after hearing on the radio that Trudeau had earlier in the day raised his middle finger at a group of demonstrators at the Salmon Arm, B.C., railway platform.

One of the demonstrators in Salmon Arm, Doug Huges, said they were protesting the prime minister's use of the plush railway car in a time of economic hardship.

'After Trudeau appeared at the coach window with two of his sons,' Hughes said, the prime minister 'smiled then scowled and then gave us the old Trudeau one-finger salute and pulled down the shade.'

Hughes said Salmon Arm is a resort and logging town where unemployment is running at 30 percent.

He described Trudeau's transportation as 'opulent.'

'During times of restraint like these, they should be mothballed. For the last six months he's been telling us to practise restraint, then he comes parading pompously like this. It's just so hypocritical.'

However, not everyone was angry at the prime minister. About 20 people at Revelstoke greeted Trudeau with a warm reception and he responded by disembarking to chat and shake hands.