OTTAWA—Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer is defending his participation in a protest with ties to the so-called Canadian “yellow vest” movement that mixed pro-pipeline advocacy with anti-immigrant rhetoric.

On Monday, Scheer defended his address to the “United We Roll” protest on Parliament Hill, a convoy of oilsands workers and supporters that arrived in Ottawa last week after departing from Red Deer, Alta.

“First of all, the events of last week were organized by people who have lost their jobs, who are facing tremendous anxiety about what the future will bring,” Scheer told reporters outside the House of Commons Monday.

“I know the Liberals would love to distract to from their own failures by pointing to other elements that tried to associate themselves with the event. But my message was very clear, I was there to support energy sector workers, those who support our natural resource sector and promising hope for the future come October when a Conservative government will stand up for our energy sector and champion Canada’s oil and gas across the world.”

The protesters’ trucks snarled traffic in downtown Ottawa for two days last week, the culmination of a cross-country tour that held pro-pipeline rallies in major centres along their route.

Initially called the Yellow Vest Convoy, organizers re-branded as “United We Roll” after questions about the imported protest movement’s at-times violent political and anti-immigrant rhetoric.

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The Canadian movement, which took its name and symbol from protests that rocked France in 2018, has been criticized for social media posts promoting violence against politicians. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Alberta Premier Rachel Notley are a frequent target of the movement's ire.

One sign prominently displayed outside the new House of Commons in West Block said Trudeau should be charged with treason, and took aim at “open borders” — which is not Canada’s border policy — and the United Nations.

The protest, which drew a vocal counter-protest, was also addressed by Maxime Bernier, the leader of the populist People’s Party of Canada, who has advocated for reducing immigration and doing away with foreign aid.

More controversially, Faith Goldy, a former television personality with white nationalist ties, addressed the crowd and vocally pushed an anti-immigration, anti-United Nations message on social media.

Conservative Sen. David Tkachuk also addressed the protesters, encouraging them to “roll over” every Liberal in the upcoming federal election. Liberal MP Ali Ehsassi called on Scheer to remove Tkachuck from the Conservative caucus for the comment, calling it an unacceptable “incitement to violence.”

“Last April, my community in Toronto was devastated by a van attack that killed ten people and injured more than a dozen others,” Ehsassi, who represents Willowdale, said in a statement.

“There’s no place for comments like those from Senator Tkachuk that incite violence.”

Scheer said Tkachuk’s comments weren’t the “choice of words” he’d use, but called the Liberal criticism a distraction from the subject of the protest.

Speaking to reporters Monday, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said he couldn’t address specific threats or groups making threats against Trudeau.

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But Goodale said that no politicians should condone incitements to violence.

“Politicians should be very clear that when people are expressing views that lead to hatred, expressing views that could be interpreted as incitement to violence, that that is very dangerous behaviour,” Goodale said.

“Surely there is no one elected or appointed in either house of the Parliament of Canada that would condone that behaviour.”

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