Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre held a campaign rally in Winnipeg Saturday, which was reportedly the biggest political rally the province has ever seen.
Reports of 3,500 to 6,000 supporters turned up for the Tory leader, and a handful of protestors waiting for them at the front door.
Abigail Bimman of CTV posted to X from the rally indicating a “very small protest” with “colourful signs,” but rally attendees did not engage with the protesters.
Massive line to get in Poilievre’s Winnipeg rally … it’s snaking around large buildings and indoors,” wrote Binman.
Longtime Conservative Manitoba MP James Bezan opened the rally, where he said approximated 3,500 people were in the main room where Poilievre was holding the rally.
He urged people to keep their phones on airplane mode and explained at the last rally in Surrey, BC, all the livestreams disrupted the local cell towers.
After Ana Poilievre, the Conservative leader's wife, introduced him, Poilievre amped up the crowd as he reiterated Conservative promises made so far in this spring’s election campaign.
There was reportedly a heckler in the crowd, to which Poilievre responded: "I'll axe your taxes too!"
At the Winnipeg rally he put extra emphasis on gun ownership and strengthening the military with generational growth.
Poilievre condemned the Carney-Trudeau Liberals for going after guns of Canadian hunters and sports shooters and promised to “cancel the multi billion dollar gun grab that targets law-abiding citizens.”
“By definition, someone with an acquisition license is not someone who is on a mission to rob a bank,” said Poilievre.
“If you're going to commit a crime with a gun, you don't stop to get a license and a background check on the way. People with a PAL “Possession and Acquisition Licence) and RPAL (Restricted Possession and Acquisition Licence) are the least likely people to commit offenses.”
“You actually meet those who participate in these tournaments. They're like lawyers, they're doctors. Many of them are even nerdy. They're very precise people who love to practice, and they're not out to hurt anybody.”
“The people who are doing crime are actually all getting their guns over the border illegally. And furthermore, as for our hunters — it's not Grandpa Joe's hunting rifle that's shooting up downtown Winnipeg and Toronto. It's the illegal guns.”
“Liberals want to protect turkeys from hunters. Conservatives want to protect Canadians from criminals.”
The Conservatives will fill the vacancies in the military by “recruiting the next generation of brilliant soldiers, sailors and airmen,” said Poilievre.
“We'll expand our cadet corps to get more of our young people active in service, learning the mentorship offered by our soldiers and our rangers, and getting skills on outdoorsmanship, survivalism. discipline, and much more.”
“Our military, by the way, will be guided by a warrior culture, not a woke culture.”
