The cancellation of the reception due to protests disrupting the entrance of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto marked an unexpected end to their day of meetings. Despite the disruption, Trudeau’s office confirmed that both leaders were unable to enter the venue, which briefly went into lockdown as demonstrators blocked entrances and shouted pro-Palestinian slogans.
Among those affected was International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen, who had to navigate through the protests with police escort to find an alternative entrance after being unable to enter through the front. Despite this disruption, earlier discussions between Trudeau and Meloni resulted in the agreement to establish the Canada-Italy Roadmap for Enhanced Cooperation.
The incident underscores the challenges faced by political leaders in maintaining diplomatic engagements amid public demonstrations and protests, and highlights ongoing tensions surrounding issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.– Web desk