Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada’s public safety minister will tell police forces they must take seriously all reports of hate and harassment targeting journalists and public figures.
Trudeau said Marco Medicino would make the announcement at a Thursday afternoon meeting of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police.
“He will be bringing forward an expectation that police forces across this country take seriously … this pattern of intimidation and attacks of people who serve their country, like journalists,” said Trudeau.
It comes after an open letter, signed Canadian media outlets and published by the Canadian Association of Journalists, called for more action by police.
“The volume and nature of the rhetoric in the recent string of attacks has caused many journalists, as well as their respective organizations, to fear for their safety,” read the letter.
Trudeau said the threats create a “chilling effect” on a free press and democracy. He adds Mendicino will make clear that the problem is a systemic issue.