The Terry Fox statue in downtown Ottawa had a protest signal and the other way up Canadian flag positioned on it on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. (Andrew Pinsent/Newstalk 580 CFRA).
As a big crowd of demonstrators mingled on Parliament Hill in Ottawa for the "Freedom Convoy" protest towards COVID-19 public well being mandates, photos of a statue of Terry Fox holding a protest signal sparked outrage amongst social media customers, together with the mayor of Ottawa.
Somebody had positioned an upside-down Canadian flag onto the statue of Terry Fox on the nook of Wellington and Metcalfe and draped one other flag across the statue's again and shoulders. A protest signal was additionally positioned within the statue's fingers.
The indicators and a baseball cap have been later eliminated, however the upside-down flag remained.
In a tweet, Ottawa mayor Jim Watson known as the transfer "utterly unacceptable" and mentioned he ordered employees to take away the gadgets positioned on the statue.
"This type of stunt by protesters doesn't assist their trigger," Watson tweeted.
Brad West, the mayor of Fox's hometown of Port Coquitlam, B.C., accused whoever positioned the gadgets on the statue of appropriating Fox's legacy.
"He’s our metropolis’s hero, nationwide inspiration and a unifier. No matter your trigger, you don’t get to acceptable his legacy and also you don’t contact his statue. Ever."
An upside-down flag is usually meant to represent misery or hazard, however has been utilized by protesters at totally different instances as a political assertion.
The federal government of Canada's guidelines for flying the nationwide flag say the flag ought to by no means be flown the other way up besides as a sign of misery in cases of maximum hazard to life, and also needs to by no means be used to cowl a statue.
Whereas it did not instantly touch upon the photographs of the statue in Ottawa, the Terry Fox Basis tweeted a picture of a statue of the Canadian icon, with the message that he believed in science.
"Terry believed in science and gave his life to assist others. Thanks to all of our supporters who assist us work towards realizing Terry’s dream of a world with out most cancers," the tweet mentioned.
Many social media customers mentioned they made a donation to the Terry Fox Basis after seeing the image.
"In response to the defiling of the Terry Fox statue in Ottawa, I've made a donation to @TerryFoxCanada," wrote CHEO president and CEO Alex Munter. "Let's flip right now's unfavourable power and hostility into optimistic outcomes for most cancers care and analysis in Canada!"
The protest in Ottawa drew a large crowd to Parliament Hill to protest COVID-19 well being mandates imposed by all ranges of presidency. Many have been additionally protesting the Liberal authorities of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The protest created gridlock in Ottawa's downtown core, with the town of Ottawa warning at one level that there was "no extra room for automobiles" aside from emergency responders.
The Terry Fox statue in downtown Ottawa had a protest signal and the other way up Canadian flag positioned on it on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. (Andrew Pinsent/Newstalk 580 CFRA).
Ottawa mayor Jim Watson mentioned on social media that he ordered employees to take away gadgets that have been positioned on a statue of Canadian icon Terry Fox on Parliament Hill throughout an anti-mandate protest Jan. 29, 2022. (Colton Praill/CTV Information Ottawa)
Some protest indicators and an the other way up Canadian flag have been positioned into the fingers of the Terry Fox statue on Wellington Avenue in Ottawa, throughout from the Parliament Buildings, throughout an anti-COVID-19 mandate protest. Jan. 29, 2022. (Picture courtesy of Griffin Waller)
Ottawa mayor Jim Watson mentioned on social media that he ordered employees to take away gadgets that have been positioned on a statue of Canadian icon Terry Fox on Parliament Hill throughout an anti-mandate protest Jan. 29, 2022. (Colton Praill/CTV Information Ottawa)
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