Protesters throw gravel at Canada's PM during pre-election rally

Justin Trudeau said his pandemic recovery policies wouldn't be shaped by the demands of what he called "anti-vaxxer mobs" that have dogged his campaign events in recent weeks, including some who threw debris at the Liberal leader on Monday.

Trudeau made the comments at a steel plant in Welland, Ont., where he pledged to extend pandemic supports for workers and businesses if his government is re-elected on September 20.

A noisy crowd of a few dozen people gathered outside the gate to the facility as Trudeau spoke inside, expressing anger over COVID-19 vaccines and pandemic measures. A similar group attended a whistle-stop event in Newmarket, Ont., the night before, shouting slurs at Liberal volunteers, supporters, and the leader himself as he shook hands and greeted people.

People angry at Trudeau congregated in progressively larger numbers at all of the leader's campaign stops in southern Ontario on Monday.

After the late afternoon event in London, Ont., some people in the noisy crowd threw dime-sized rocks at Trudeau as he walked out of the microbrewery to his campaign bus.

Trudeau later downplayed the incident, though he acknowledged to reporters that some of the projectiles might have struck him on the shoulder.