Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson has released a song dedicated to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The tune, which draws influence from Pink Floyd, seemingly criticizes Trudeau’s handling of the anti-mandate Freedom Convoy protests, which Peterson has been vocal in his support for.
Entitled ‘Wake Up’, the song was published on Peterson’s YouTube channel on Saturday. Composed by Peterson and musician Skutch Tully, and featuring lyrics sung by Tully, Peterson, and Peterson’s wife Tammy, the track blends Peterson’s political message with guitars and pianos clearly inspired by prog-rock legends Pink Floyd.
The lyrics seem directly aimed at Trudeau, who responded to the Freedom Convoy protests first by leaving Ottawa, then by returning and enacting unprecedented emergency powers to crack down on the demonstrations.
“You should be acting well / You should climb off your throne / And see what you've been shown / You might think this is hell,” Peterson’s lyrics seemingly implore Trudeau. “You should just stop and think / You should be doing well / You should be waking up,” the song’s chorus repeats.
Peterson has fiercely criticized Canada’s “totalitarian” vaccine mandates, saying that he lost faith in the state when he got vaccinated and was still subject to civil liberties restrictions. He has been outspoken in his support for the Freedom Convoy protests, though he agreed that some of the protesters last week would likely “pack up and leave,” arguing that they had “been a model for the entire world.”
Many, however, stayed in Ottawa. Those that remained faced a heavy-handed police crackdown in recent days, with officers seen on camera hitting protesters and charging on horseback into crowds. More than 170 arrests were made on Friday and Saturday, and Ottawa’s interim police chief, Steve Bell, claimed on Saturday evening that the “unlawful occupation is over.”
Throughout the protest, Trudeau did not offer any suggestion that a vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers, or a mandate requiring all Canadians to be vaccinated to leave the country, would be lifted. His use of emergency powers – enabling the Canadian government to freeze the bank accounts of protesters or those supporting them – has been condemned internationally, with the editorial boards of the Financial Times and Wall Street Journal stating their disapproval and several US politicians publicly denouncing the Canadian leader.