NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has accused the prime minister of hypocrisy for calling on Canadians to do more to combat racism but refusing to condemn inflammatory remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Justin Trudeau was pressed Tuesday to address how Trump has been handling escalating protests in the U.S. related to the death of a black man in police custody.

Violence has since broken out across the country, in many cases touched off by aggressive police, with deaths in several cities, widespread damage and even the media being targeted.

Trump has lashed out at the protesters, calling them thugs and anarchists. He has suggested the military be used to quash them and has appeared to advocate violence against protesters. This week, tear gas was used on protesters who were blocking TrumpB次元官网网址檚 path to a photo op outside the White House.

The prime minister fell silent for several moments when a reporter asked for his views on the crisis Tuesday. He eventually said Canadians were watching in horror what was going on in the U.S., but did not mention Trump directly.

He then pivoted to acknowledging more must be done in Canada to address racism.

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TrudeauB次元官网网址檚 silence was deafening, Singh said Wednesday.

B次元官网网址淭he prime minister of Canada has to call out the hatred and racism happening just south of the border and if the prime minister canB次元官网网址檛 do that how can everyday people be expected to stand up?B次元官网网址� Singh said Wednesday.

B次元官网网址淭he prime minister should lead by example.B次元官网网址�

Trudeau has long ducked questions calling on him to respond to statements by the U.S. president, repeating B次元官网网址� as he did Tuesday B次元官网网址� that Canadians expect their government to focus on them.

But Singh said thatB次元官网网址檚 not acceptable.

He called TrumpB次元官网网址檚 actions reprehensible, accusing the president of inflaming hatred and divisions, fuelling racism and putting peopleB次元官网网址檚 lives at risk.

B次元官网网址淭here are times when we have to be strategic and there are times when we have to stand up for whatB次元官网网址檚 right,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淎nd this is one of those times you have to stand up for whatB次元官网网址檚 right.B次元官网网址�

Singh called on Trudeau to put actions behind his focus on Canadians. The Liberals could find a path through legislation to end racially motivated policing tactics and address the over-representation of visible minorities and Indigenous people in prisons, he said.

They could also move faster to sew up holes in the countryB次元官网网址檚 social safety nets that create the inequalities that lead to racism.

B次元官网网址淭hose are just some of the things the government can do immediately that would go beyond the pretty words of a prime minister who says that he cares,B次元官网网址� Singh said,

B次元官网网址淲ell, the prime minister has the power to do something about it.B次元官网网址�

In a separate appearance, the Green partyB次元官网网址檚 Elizabeth May said while it is true that TrudeauB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址減retty wordsB次元官网网址� were not the same as action, they are the epitome of what is making Canada different from the United States at this time.

B次元官网网址淧retty words are so much better than vile language so bad that Twitter decides to put a warning that it incites violence, that Facebook employees quit because Mark Zuckerman (sic) wonB次元官网网址檛 take down comments that are incendiary and those comments are from the president of the United States,B次元官网网址� she said.

May said Trump has made everything going on in his country worse and that Canada must stop pretending the United States offers a safe place of refuge for minorities.

She repeated the GreensB次元官网网址� long-held stance that Canada must suspend the Safe Third Country Agreement between Canada and the United States. The deal sees both countries reject most asylum claims lodged at the land border on the grounds that both countries are safe, and so asylum seekers must seek refuge where they first arrive.

B次元官网网址淚t is clear that if youB次元官网网址檙e Muslim, if youB次元官网网址檙e black, if youB次元官网网址檙e Latina, if youB次元官网网址檙e Indigenous, the United States is not a safe country,B次元官网网址� May said.

B次元官网网址擶ith files from Mia Rabson

Stephanie Levitz, The Canadian Press

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