‘Protect our sovereignty’: Protesters gather at U.S. consulate in Vancouver

Dozens of anti-Trump protesters gathered at the U.S. consulate in Vancouver on Saturday.

With the threat of U.S. tariffs on Canadian exports still looming and President Donald Trump reportedly serious about his suggestion that Canada should become the 51st state, dozens of Canadians gathered outside the U.S. consulate in Vancouver Saturday to show their displeasure with the American regime.

Deriding Trump as “Donito Trumpolini,” rally participant Tom Hetherington told CTV News the U.S. leader is “flooding the pond with misinformation.”

“Every day there’s something new,” Hetherington said. “We want to resist that. We want to protect our sovereignty. We want to protect our freedom. We say it’s time for all Canadians of all political parties and all ages and all races, ethnicities, Indigenous (nations), step forward. We have to act now, or we risk losing our country.”

Trump initially promised to levy 25-per-cent tariffs on all Canadian goods imported into his country on “day one” of his administration. He later announced plans for tariffs of 25 per cent on everything except Canadian energy, which would be taxed at 10 per cent, signing an executive order calling for the tariffs to begin on Feb. 4.

The president then agreed to delay the start of the tariff regime by 30 days, but has maintained that tariffs are coming and claimed that Canada is "very tough to do business with."

Roughly 50 people gathered at Saturday’s rally, playing music and holding signs instructing Trump to “toque off.”

Hetherington said the group plans to continue protesting outside the consulate regularly.

“We plan to be here at the Vancouver consulate every Saturday, 2 to 3 (p.m.), at least for the month of February,” he said.