Climate Action Muskoka (CAM) is calling Parry Sound-Muskoka MP Scott Aitchison’s claims that a staff member was threatened during a protest outside his Huntsville constituency office on June 28th a “deliberate misrepresentation” of what happened.
Officials with CAM explain one of the 15 people that took part in the protest, a grandfather of newborn twins, emotionally said “his grandchildren will die, we are all going to die, you’re going to die,” while explaining the consequences of inaction to the climate crisis.
They say it was clear the protester was trying to find the “right words” and was not trying to threaten anyone.
“We are here to call on our MP Scott Aitchison to work with MPs from all parties to call on the Federal Government to immediately end subsidies to fossil fuel companies, cap emissions from oil and gas, and lead a just transition to a clean green economy,” said spokesperson Linda Mathers
The day after it happened, Aitchison called what happened “reprehensible and disgusting” and tweeted at the time he would not allow Climate Action Muskoka back in his office.
He was not at his office at the time the protest was going on.
Officials call Aitchison’s decision to respond to what happened the way he has as a “shameful misrepresentation of the truth” and an attempt by him to “discredit our groups and to deflect attention from the real issue, the lack of political will to forge a pathway to real climate action.”
Officials with CAM invited Aitchison to join them at one of their weekly climate strikes.
A call to Aitchison’s Huntsville constituency office Tuesday went unreturned.
The protest was run by 350 Canada.
Aitchison’s office was one of over 30 other offices where protests were being held on June 28. According to the non-profit organization’s website, they were protesting to “demand an immediate end of fossil fuel subsidies and a just transition to 100 percent renewable energy.”