Video: Justin Trudeau grooved at Taylor Swift concert in Toronto as rioters ran amok in Montreal

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is under fire after a video of him dancing at a Taylor Swift concert in Toronto surfaced over the weekend as violent protests raged in his hometown of Montreal during a meeting of NATO officials.

The viral clip shows Trudeau singing along to the song ‘You Don’t Own Me’ before Swift took the stage at her Eras Tour performance on Friday night. His attendance at the event, confirmed by his office as a family outing, sparked outrage as demonstrators set off smoke bombs and clashed with police in Montreal the same evening.

Protesters in Canada’s second-largest city set cars on fire, threw explosives and metal objects at police, and burned an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reported news agency Reuters, citing local media.

The image of Trudeau enjoying the concert while violent protests unfolded in Montreal drew fierce criticism online. Social media users likened him to Nero, the Roman emperor infamous for “fiddling while Rome burned.”

“Pro-Palestinian, anti-NATO rioters light Canada’s second-largest city up in flames. Meanwhile, Justin Trudeau is dancing to Taylor Swift,” one user wrote on X.

Another accused the Canadian leader of mishandling national issues, writing, “According to ancient tradition, the degenerate Emperor Nero got on stage and recited poetry while Rome burned. Here’s Trudeau dancing … after doubling the debt to $1.2 trillion and creating a housing crisis by opening Canada’s borders.”

Toronto MP Don Stewart also condemned Trudeau, posting, “Lawless protesters run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest. The Prime Minister dances. This is the Canada built by the Liberal government.”

In a statement on Saturday, Trudeau denounced the acts of violence in Montreal as “appalling”. “What we saw on the streets of Montreal last night was appalling,” Trudeau said. “Acts of antisemitism, intimidation, and violence must be condemned wherever we see them.”

This isn’t the first time Trudeau’s shoutout to Swift has made headlines. Before the pop star announced Canadian dates for her record-breaking Eras Tour, Trudeau had urged her on social media to bring the tour to the maple country.

“I know places in Canada would love to have you. So, don’t make it another cruel summer,” he tweeted in July 2023.

On Friday, he welcomed Swift to Canada with another X post, declaring, “We’re ready for you.”