Man condemned for verbally assaulting woman at MP Catherine McKenna's office
People have lots to say after a man approached Infrastructure and Communities Minister Catherine McKenna's constituency office and shouted profanities last week.
A video posted to social media on the weekend shows the man ringing the doorbell at McKenna's office in Ottawa. He appears to have taken the video himself.
After a female employee answered the door, the man asked to speak to McKenna but was told that the office was not open due to COVID-19. This promoted the man's obscenity-filled tirade in which he called the politician a "c**t" before the employee shut the door.
This is unacceptable. This must not be tolerated. Please stop this harassment of Catherine and the people who work for her@cathmckenna @OttawaPolice @CBCOttawa #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/q09CI3LB7D
— 🇨🇦Canuck🇨🇦 (@CoalitionCanad1) August 9, 2020
Now, McKenna is receiving support on social media from many people, including fellow politician Jagmeet Singh who said that women in politics are often faced with this kind of hatred.
No one should encounter this type of abuse and harassment. Period.
— Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh) August 10, 2020
Women in politics are often faced with this kind of hate and we have to do more to stop it. https://t.co/4U5Dop41QD
Others have called the man's rant misogynistic, threatening, and frightening.
Stop this nonsense. No need for scary threatening language. I wouldn’t accept this behaviour from someone knocking at my door. He can ask questions and make a protest but scary stuff like this should not be permitted.
— Fernpick (@Fernpick) August 10, 2020
As a result, some have even called for the man to be arrested.
Unacceptable behaviour towards anyone... but McKenna seems to constantly take the brunt of anger towards politicians. I hope they arrest this a**hole.
— MrsB (@peaspleez) August 10, 2020
As of Monday, the Ottawa police hate crimes unit is investigating the incident. McKenna has also addressed it, saying that this was not an isolated incident.
"It's not just involving me, my staff members, my family. Too often there are incidents against politicians, often female politicians," she said. "I want the girls and women out there to think that they can go in and make a difference but not have to put up with this garbage."
Following her re-election last fall, someone spray-painted similar words across a photo of McKenna's face on the window of her office.
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