Page Fired for Throne Speech Protest

Holding a stop sign reading 'Stop Harper' put an end to Brigette DePape's short experience in Parliament.

A page working in the Senate was fired after holding up a red sign reading “Stop Harper” while Gov. Gen. David Johnston read the throne speech this afternoon. Brigette DePape, a 21-year-old page, was escorted out of the Senate chamber shortly after Johnston began the speech, which outlined the government's legislative priorities for the new term. In a news release prepared beforehand that identified her as Brigette Marcelle, DePape wrote that “Harper’s agenda is disastrous for this country and for my generation,” and called for a Canadian version of the Arab Spring revolutions that have unfolded across North Africa and the Middle East.