Ontario NDP holds protest at a private eye clinic
The far-left socialist party helped pass a law to ban protests at private medical facilities in 2017, but attended the Herzig Eye Institute in Ottawa, a private clinic which treats cataracts and performs other ophthalmological surgeries.
Today we rallied outside the Herzig Eye Institute - a clinic owned by Conservative donors set to make huge profits with Doug Ford's privatization scheme.
— Joel Harden (@JoelHardenONDP) February 18, 2023
Thank you to everyone who showed up today to tell Doug Ford that #EnoughIsEnough - we'll keep fighting for #PublicHealthcare. pic.twitter.com/9blVsIyUZZ
The Ontario NDP supported a 2017 buffer-zone law preventing protests near abortion facilities.
Anyone who violates the safe zones law will face up to $5,000 in fines and six months in jail for a first offence, and fines of $1,000 to $10,000 and up to a year in jail for a second or subsequent offence. Demonstrations are banned around the eight abortion clinics in the province, resulting in a 150-metre bubble in which anti-abortion protests and advising a person not to get an abortion are also prohibited.
The Women's Care Clinic in Toronto is privately owned and bills OHIP for services. The NDP has never protested there.
Joel Harden, the NDP MPP for Ottawa Centre, was at the rally against the eye clinic and promoted the protest in advance on his social media as a rally against "private healthcare" under Premier Doug Ford.
Join me, @ChandraPasma and the @ottawahealthco outside of the Herzig Eye Institute on February 18th for a rally against private healthcare.
— Joel Harden (@JoelHardenONDP) February 15, 2023
Let's continue the fight against Doug Ford's privatization scheme and build a movement to #SavePublicHealthcare 💪⚕️ #ONpoli pic.twitter.com/0PCUdTrwae
Unions had a strong presence at the weekend rally and replicated the demonstration again on Wednesday.
Join Toronto Area NDP MPPs, United Steelworkers, OCHU/CUPE, OPSEU, TYRLC and more at a Rally to Stop Ford’s Privatization of Health Care.
— CUPE Ontario (@CUPEOntario) February 17, 2023
WHEN: Wednesday, February 22, 2023 @ 5pm
WHERE: Hospital Row – College St & University Ave
RSVP: https://t.co/k1CcDzUTmF pic.twitter.com/8XM1b4KQBS
Harden was against the peaceful Freedom Convoy demonstrations last year, railing against the anti-COVID restriction protests on the same Twitter account he now uses to organize his protests. Harden also participated in a counter-protest against the Freedom Convoy.
Enough. The beginning of the end of the #OttawaSiege starts now. Come join us at Bank/Riverside and Bronson/Fifth. We are peaceful but also fed up. pic.twitter.com/oLlRh5YWGc
— Joel Harden (@JoelHardenONDP) February 13, 2022
As recently as November 2022, Harden urged people to mask up indoors.
Crisis? What crisis?
— Joel Harden (@JoelHardenONDP) November 17, 2022
That's the response from the government to health care professionals at @CHEO helping kids who are in the hospital right now, struggling to breathe.@fordnation honour the office you hold: #MaskUp indoors, #RepealBill124, and fund the healthcare we need. pic.twitter.com/PeU4PFaJKr
Sheila Gunn Reid
Chief Reporter
Sheila Gunn Reid is the Alberta Bureau Chief for Rebel News and host of the weekly The Gunn Show with Sheila Gunn Reid. She's a mother of three, conservative activist, and the author of best-selling books including Stop Notley.
