Editor’s note: This article has been updated to reflect new information released by the Charlottetown Police Services.
Police have determined a tent fire at an immigration protest in Prince Edward Island was not set by the government or racist Canadians as protesters initially claimed.
Investigators have ruled the fire accidental and stated that a burning mosquito coil started the fire.
Liberal MP Sean Casey walked back statements he made Tuesday in which he sided with foreign worker protesters, claiming the tent fire was an “act of intimidation” and blamed the “proliferation of online abuse” for the incident without any evidence to back up the claim.
“Yesterday, I issued a statement condemning the recent tent fire at the encampment where individuals have been peacefully protesting policy changes to PEI’s Immigration system. I have since been informed by the Charlottetown Police that their investigation determined the cause of the fire to be accidental,” the MP for Charlottetown said on Facebook. “While it is a relief to know that this incident was not a deliberate act of intimidation, the situation still serves as a stark reminder of the challenges and risks faced by those who exercise their right to peaceful protest.”
The protesters have demanded permanent residency from the PEI government for nearly 100 days in response to the provincial government’s announcement that it would cut the number of permits it provides in the Provincial Nominee Program by 25% amid high unemployment.
PEI’s unemployment rate continues to climb. In July, the government reported that the island faced 8.9% unemployment, a 0.9% increase from the previous year.
The fire broke out at the foreign resident protest encampment at St. Paul’s Church, across the street from the George Coles Building, the province’s legislature.
The protesters are led by Palwinder Pal Singh, an Indian man who came to Canada on an international study permit who’s worried that he wouldn’t get a PR permit because his field of study was not listed as a required field by the province.
The protesters led by Singh posted a video to social media claiming the fire was a targeted act of racist violence.
“While we are outside since last 93 days protesting peacefully. Someone tried to burn us while we were asleep,” the protesters said. “There is much more in life apart from Racism. This was one of greatest cowardice act we ever witnessed. Tried to hurt someone when they are asleep.”
The photo shared on social media of the fire appears to show two small and separate fires burning from inside the tent.
In the comments of the original post, one X user noted that tents are very flammable. The commenter believes the protesters would likely have had to run out of the tent immediately from their sleep, snap a quick photo of the fire before putting out the flames, and miss the arsonist who set the separate fires from inside the tent.
The temporary foreign worker protesters staged two hunger strikes in the past throughout their protests and stated they were willing to die in PEI for the protest last May.
Another group from Brampton, Stand for Immigrant Workers, posted a video in solidarity with the PEI protesters, claiming that the fire was started by “racist bodies” or the Canadian government.
“If there is any damage to any PWP (Post-graduation work permit) holder, then the federal government is going to be accountable for that,” the Brampton protesters claimed.
The group tagged Protest PEI, which has not taken down the video.
“None of this is surprising and it’s predictable that a Liberal MP like Sean Casey would immediately rush to the defence of these protesters. He assumed the worst of his own voters – that one of his own constituents would intentionally try and set this encampment on fire,” said True North journalist Harrison Faulkner.
Faulkner has been covering the protest on his show Ratio’d since May.
“(Casey’s statements) shows how out of touch members of this government are with their own voters and the mass immigration situation. Canadians aren’t attacking these people because that’s not how Canadians behave,” he told True North. “It is clear, however, that Canadians don’t have much sympathy for these protesters or the PEI government. Knowingly blaming Canadians for committing crimes that didn’t happen is disgraceful behaviour.”
Neither Sean Casey nor the Charlottetown police services responded to True North’s requests for information or comment.