Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing backlash after a video of him dancing at a Taylor Swift concert went viral over the weekend. The footage, widely shared on social media, shows Trudeau grooving to Swift’s beats at the Toronto show. However, the timing of the video has raised eyebrows, as it coincided with devastating riots in Montreal. Protesters were seen clashing with police, setting fires, and burning an effigy during anti-NATO protests.
On November 23rd, the Canadian PM was spotted stealing the spotlight at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, where the Cruel Summer crooner was set to perform at her sold-out show. With just four shows left on Taylor’s tour before she wraps up the Eras era in Vancouver on December 8, the Grammy winner played her iconic track “You Don’t Own Me” before taking the stage—a song Taylor often uses to hype up the audience.
And there was Trudeau, fully immersed in the moment, grooving to the music and showing off his dance moves with plenty of hand gestures. The video quickly went viral on social media after being posted on TikTok.
“This is real life. Montreal is burning, and Justin Trudeau is dancing and handing out friendship bracelets to teenage girls at a Taylor Swift concert,” one social media user commented on the video. “Oh, here he is, and we thought he might be working to solve the country’s problems,” quipped another. “This guy’s trouble, headlining for all the wrong reasons,” a third added. Some social media users even compared Trudeau’s actions to Nero’s “fiddling while Rome burned.” “Lawless protesters run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest. The Prime Minister dances, this is the Canada built by the Liberal government.”
While Taylor Swift performed in Toronto, violent protests erupted in Montreal. Anti-NATO demonstrators marched through the streets with Palestinian flags, setting off smoke bombs and clashing with police. Toronto, where Trudeau was present is situated approximately 280 miles west of Ottawa and 330 miles from Montreal. Cars were set on fire, and an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was burned during the unrest. As of now, at least four people have been arrested in connection with the violence. The demonstrations took place alongside a NATO summit being held in the city.
The NATO summit, held from November 22 to 25, convened representatives from NATO countries and their allies to discuss pressing matters like Ukraine, climate change, and the future of the alliance. The protests took place on the second day of student-led demonstrations across the city, which were focused on supporting Palestine.
