Canada: Former soldiers camp out in Ottawa, to protest with demand for better services
Ottawa, Feb 12 (IBNS): Former Canadian soldiers have camped out in Ottawa and is also scheduled to stage a protest against the federal government's ill-treatment of the veterans, media reports said.
Trevor Sanderson and Dick Groot flew down from Winnipeg on Friday and erected a camp outside the veterans memorial buildings in downtown Ottawa.
The veterans are trying to draw attentions of the government.
The former soldiers will continue the protest until Thursday, when a large protest will take place on the Parliament Hill.
Sanderson feels Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will hear their grievances.
"We're not asking for a lot. We're only asking to feel normal again" Sanderson told CBC News.
Groot said: "We want to go back to being human."
"When I did go to the system, everything went crazy" he told CBC News.
Early this month, Trudeau had faced tough questions during a public interaction in Edmonton where a former soldier had vented out his anger against the federal government.
A former soldier, who had lost a leg in Afghanistan, vented out his anger against the federal government's changes in pensions of the disabled people.
"I was prepared to be killed in action. What I wasn’t prepared for, Mr. Prime Minister, is Canada turning its back on me" Brock Blaszczyk said.
Trudeau, keeping his cool, said the soldier's frustration and anger are justifiable.
Defending his government, Trudeau said the shift has changed from lump payments to long term benefits.
"We have significantly invested in services, rehabilitation support, investments in training and support for caregivers and families" Trudeau was quoted by Toronto Star.
"Why are we still fighting against certain veteran’s groups in court? Because they are asking for more than we are able to give right now,” the PM added.
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