OTTAWA – Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre reaffirmed his support Monday for people who have gathered in Ottawa to protest against COVID-19 restrictions, even as others in his party have called for the demonstrators to go home.

But Poilievre, who launched his leadership bid just as the first trucks were pulling into Ottawa in late January, said while he supports the protesters, he does not think they should block critical infrastructure.

“Yes to peaceful protests. No to blockades, ”Poilievre told reporters on Parliament Hill.

“We can put an end to both of them though. It’s real simple. Listen to the science. Do what the other provinces and the other countries are doing: end the mandates and the restrictions so the protesters can get back to their lives and their jobs. ”

As the lone candidate officially in the Conservative leadership race, Poilievre stood atop a highway overpass in late January to cheer on the arrival of the so-called “Freedom Convoy,” calling it at a protest for all those whose lives had been affected by COVID -19 restrictions.

Many Conservatives – including former party leader Erin O’Toole – expressed support in the early days of the protest, which was triggered by a mandatory vaccination requirement for cross-border truckers.

But the views of some began to shift as it became clear that some demonstrators were calling for the overthrow of the Canadian government or had links to extremist causes, and as the protest increasingly disrupted residential life in Ottawa’s downtown and spread to border crossings.

In addition to weathering criticism from political rivals, an internal debate erupted among the Conservatives about why their party, which is known for taking a tough stand on law-and-order issues, was not calling for police to break up the protests.

Last week, the party’s interim leader set aside her previous show of support for the protest movement. Candice Bergen called on the protesters to leave Ottawa, saying their messages have been heard and that the Conservatives would continue to fight against vaccination mandates.

That fight spooled out in the House of Commons on Monday as MPs voted on a Conservative motion calling on the government to put a plan in place by the end of the month to end all federal COVID-19 restrictions and vaccination mandates.

The motion failed to pass, with 185 MPs opposed and 151 in favor.

Liberal MP Joël Lightbound, who broke with the government last week over its handling of COVID-19 restrictions, voted with the Conservatives.

The vote followed a raucous question period, in which Liberal House leader Mark Holland responded to Conservative attacks by questioning the Official Opposition’s definition of responsible leadership.

“It is not saying that they are proud and stand with the illegal actions that they are seeing,” Holland said.

“It absolutely is not equivocating, in terms of some of their members saying to continue and stay and egging them on, and then saying sometimes in the House that maybe they are against it and then tweet that they are for it.”

Since launching his bid to lead the Conservatives, Poilievre has been urging people to sign petitions in favor of ending COVID-19 restrictions. The petitions include an acknowledgment by those who sign that “Pierre Poilievre and his team will stay in touch with me and provide important updates.”

No formal rules have been set yet for the leadership race, nor is it clear when party members will actually vote for a new leader.

Other names raised as possible candidates include former Quebec Prime Minister Jean Charest, Conservative strategist Tasha Kheiriddin and Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown.