Elbows up! 'Seriously angry grannies' and 'menopause mafia' protest Trump in Ottawa

Heavy snow did not deter several dozen protesters from demonstrating outside the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa on Tuesday to voice their opposition to President Donald Trump's policies toward Canada, Ukraine and the liberal world order.

Chanting "elbows up" and "down with Trump," the protesters cheered as they received honking support from passing motorists.

Several people described protesting as a concrete way of responding to the anger and anxiety the second Trump administration is evoking in many Canadians. 

"Elbows up" has become the war cry of angry Canadians as they enter an unsought trade war with the United States, after Trump introduced punishing 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports on Tuesday. 

A hockey term indicating a fight on the ice is imminent, Canadian actor Mike Myers mouthed the phrase during an appearance on Saturday Night Live on March 1 in which he wore a T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan "Canada is not for sale."

On Tuesday, protesters Felicity Garrard and Helen Clark joked that Trump had transformed them into "seriously angry grannies."

"We are just so disgusted by what Trump and his goons are doing right now," said Clark. "It's so awful, everyone should get out and protest."

Clark was especially angered by Trump's dressing down of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House last week and his threats to end military aid as Ukraine struggles to resist the Russian invasion. 

"Always stand with Ukraine," Clark said. 

Garrard was angered by Trump's attempts to blame Zelenskyy for the Russian invasion, but also his actions toward Canada.

"The absolute injustice that is taking place today — denying an invasion, putting on tariffs and impoverishing both countries, our friends and neighbours in the U.S.A.," she said. "This is totally, totally wrong."

'Menopause mafia'

Louisa Fenner said protesting allowed her to express some of her fear and anxiety that Trump's threats toward Canada could escalate.

"I don't want to be scaremongering, but I'm afraid of what might happen to us physically," she said.

"I joke that we're sort of the menopause mafia, and I have no intention of giving my children over to any kind of armed conflict, but if anybody wants me to pick up a wooden spoon and give somebody a good whack around the head, I'm down for it. I'm scared. I'm actively frightened."

'War is coming'

Ukrainian Tatiana Piatkovsea held a sign reading "The suit doesn't make the man," a reference to Zelenskyy being asked by a right-wing American network why he wasn't wearing a suit to meet Trump at the White House last week.

She said she worried that Trump's cosying up to Russian President Vladimir Putin had the potential to lead to a third world war.

"I escaped from war, came here and now I'm feeling the same. I'm feeling that war is coming and I'm not feeling safe," she said. 

Likewise, Steve Whitwill said he was scared that Trump would not stop at a trade war with Canada. 

"I fear that if the economic blockade does not bring us to our knees, he will potentially use the American armed forces to take Canada, just as Putin has done in Ukraine," he said. "They seem to be buddies."

'Dangerous' for democracy

Lucie Atangana said she's concerned about the threat Trump posed to democracy, and is opposed to unfair tariffs. 

"He is someone who is very dangerous for both Americans and the state of general democracy around the world," she said. 

"We stand with Americans, we just don't agree with their current political representation and the lack of clear leadership in the face of what is already a very uncertain time for everybody." 

Atangana said she was particularly worried about how vulnerable groups including blue collar workers, trans people, women and people of colour could be impacted. 

 "We should stand together instead of trying to tear each other apart," she said. 

Her colleague Babacar Faye said he's concerned Trump's tariffs could cause an economic recession. 

"We're going to see inflation rise again, we're seeing the price of the cost of living rising again," he said. "And it's just going to affect everyone."