Conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre has launched a petition to support a free and independent press in Canada following the disturbingly brutal arrest of Rebel News’ Mission Specialist David Menzies.
“A journalist was arrested for questioning a Liberal minister, and the Parliamentary Press Gallery doesn’t say a word,” Poilievre’s post on X (formerly Twitter) reads.
“Trudeau has divided media into two groups: those he’s bought off with bailouts and those he censors and has arrested.”
A journalist was arrested for questioning a Liberal minister, and the Parliamentary Press Gallery doesn’t say a word.
Trudeau has divided media into two groups: those he’s bought off with bailouts and those he censors and has arrested.
Sign here to support a free press:…
— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) January 9, 2024
Poilievre first condemned the action when he shared video footage of Menzie’s arrest on X a few hours after the assault took place.
“This is the state of freedom of the press. In Canada. In 2024. After 8 years of Trudeau,” he wrote.
This is the state of freedom of the press.
In Canada. In 2024.
After 8 years of Trudeau. pic.twitter.com/7EpRW0fulX
— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) January 9, 2024
Conservative MP Dean Allison followed suit, calling Menzie’s arrest “wrong. Plain and Simple.”
What happened in this situation to the news reporter is wrong.
Plain and simple. It was wrong.#cdnpoli https://t.co/rBimBf5fNo
— Dean Allison (@DeanAllisonMP) January 9, 2024
The viral footage has reached a global audience, with National Post journalist Rahim Mohamed headlining, “Handcuffs for journalists, double-doubles for Jihadists.”
My latest column for @nationalpost – – and likely my magnum opus headline: https://t.co/UqenFUsoPd pic.twitter.com/83dEcTczs2
— Rahim Mohamed (@rmohamed_yyc) January 9, 2024
Indeed, the arrest took place in the wake of pro-terrorism protesters in Toronto being given police escorts and coffee deliveries by law enforcement while obstructing roads and overpasses.
Rebel Commander Ezra Levant has since announced that the RCMP, Freeland, and York Regional Police will be sued for false arrest, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, and assault.
We met with our lawyer.
We will sue @cafreeland @rcmpgrcpolice & @YRP for
* false arrest
* false imprisonment
* malicious prosecution
* assaultFreeland will spend a million tax dollars fighting us. So we could sure use your help.
Please help us at https://t.co/BHTruvih5t. https://t.co/atr8W1JjHT
— Ezra Levant 🍁🚛 (@ezralevant) January 9, 2024
Deputy PM and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland became infamously known for her totalitarian role in freezing the financial assets of Canadian truckers who dared to protest her government’s COVID-19 policies in 2022.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made his disdain for free and independent press clear when he responded with misinformation claims to Rebel News’ senior editor, Tamara Ugolini, during the 2021 leadership debates.
Trudeau made his disdain for free and independent press clear as he responded to me during the leadership debates in 2021
We were only able to provide coverage of this after resorting to legal action to secure the right to attendpic.twitter.com/4maAnaDDDd
— Tamara Ugolini 🇨🇦 (@TamaraUgo) January 9, 2024
Rebel News was only able to provide coverage of that event through legal action to secure the right to attend.
These instances underscore an alarming pattern of progressively illiberal and censorious acts by the Trudeau regime with heavy-handed suppression of dissent, in spite of the fact that journalistic independence is the cornerstone of a healthy, functioning democracy.