Conservative candidate says some of his supporters were at the chaotic Trudeau event

Conservative candidate Kyle Seeback said Saturday some of his campaign volunteers were at the Liberal event shut down by police last night amid a tenuous security situation.

In a media statement, Seeback, the party's candidate in Dufferinâ€"Caledon, said a "few of my supporters attended the protest outside Justin Trudeau's event," and as a result they are "no longer welcome on my campaign."

"My campaign has zero-tolerance for obscenities or threatening behaviour against any candidate," Seeback said.

Trudeau has been dogged by protesters at many of his campaign events, but the scene in Bolton, Ont., Friday night was particularly chaotic, with hundreds of angry people on hand for a planned outdoor rally.

Among the protesters were anti-vaccination activists who shouted vulgarities at Liberal volunteers and carried anti-Trudeau signs scrawled with obscenities. The crowd was frustrated with Trudeau's push to make vaccines mandatory in some settings and his support for provincial vaccine passports to restrict entry into some non-essential businesses. 

The raucous crowd outnumbered police and, after a two-hour delay, the rally was cancelled. While Trudeau has faced security threats at election events in the past, police believed it was too dangerous to proceed with this rally.

Trudeau and his campaign bus were subsequently escorted from the property by Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). Speaking to reporters after the fracas, Trudeau said he has never seen this level of anger or intensity at a campaign event.

WATCH: We could not guarantee the safety of the people in attendance,' Trudeau on cancelling campaign rally

'We could not guarantee the safety of the people in attendance,' Trudeau on cancelling campaign rally14 hours agoLiberal Leader Justin Trudeau spoke in Brampton, Ont. following the cancellation of a campaign rally planned in nearby city Bolton, Ont., due to safety concerns. 2:05

Speaking at an event in Fredericton on Saturday, O'Toole said he is trying to run a positive campaign, and he "strongly condemns any form of harassment" on the campaign trail.

"We should be having a healthy and respectful debate. We have no time for people who bring negativity to campaigning. I urge everyone to put the country and our democracy first â€" let's have a positive debate of ideas on the future. That's my approach, and that's my expectation for every single member of our team."

He said any Conservative volunteer found to have been part of the Bolton event "will no longer be involved with our campaign, full stop. I expect professionalism, I expect respect. I respect my opponents."

At an event in Sudbury, Ont., NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said what happened at the Liberal rally last night was wrong.

"No one should have to cancel an event because they worry about the safety of people coming out. I just want to condemn that. Mr. Trudeau and his team should never worry about their safety," Singh said.

Singh said this sort of anger is driven by anxiety at a time when COVID-related lockdowns and public health restrictions have upended social and economic life in this country.

The push to make vaccines mandatory in some settings has also caused unease, he said, and anti-vaccination activists need to be reassured that the COVID-19 shots are safe and effective.

"People are worried. They are in a precarious situation, and that's why there's tension," Singh said.

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