Canada deputy PM Freeland abused in Alberta, Trudeau calls it part of a trend

FILE PHOTO: Canada's Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland reacts during a news conference before delivering the 2022-23 budget, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, April 7, 2022. REUTERS/Blair Gable

(Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday condemned an abusive verbal attack on his deputy prime minister and finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, which he described as an "extremely disturbing harassment" that was not an isolated incident.

"We are seeing increasingly people in public life and people in positions of responsibility, particularly women, racialized Canadians, people of minority or different community groups, being targeted almost because of the increasing strength of your voices," Trudeau said in an address on Sunday.