Mark Hancock and Candace Rennick CUPE National President Mark Hancock and National Secretary-Treasurer Candace Rennick made the following statement:

On behalf of our 700,000 members nationwide, we want to recognize the hard work and dedication of CUPE members across the National Capital Region in the face of intimidation and disruption at the hands of anti-vaccine, anti-science protesters. In particular, we want to thank our paramedics and municipal workers in Ottawa who have been working to serve their communities during these turbulent couple of days.

The disruption, bullying, and display of deplorable symbols of hate and bigotry have gone on long enough. It’s time for the mob to go home, and it is time for local authorities in Ottawa to see that they do so peacefully and expediently.

Kids deserve to go back to school, workers deserve to go back to their jobs, and residents deserve to live their lives without fear and intimidation.