EZRA LEVANT ｜ Aren't birthdays supposed to be festive？ The 155th celebration of our Dominion sure wasn't
Episode Stats
Words per Minute
150.50964
Summary
Last weekend, Canada celebrated her country s 155th birthday with Canada s biggest birthday bash on Parliament Hill, but it was nothing short of a police state in the capital city of Ottawa. Not only was there a heavy police presence in the streets, but there were metal detectors and pat downs at every entrance to Parliament Hill. It was reminiscent of the Rolling Thunder event in late April, when hundreds of bikers paid tribute to our veterans by riding around the National War Memorial.
Transcript
00:00:30.000
call me a radical call me outrageous call me a loose cannon but I always thought that a birthday
00:00:35.840
party should be a celebratory occasion that it should be you know fun and festive last Friday
00:00:43.340
was Canada's 155th birthday and I'm certain millions of Canadians found ways to celebrate
00:00:49.740
the occasion with family members and friends soaking up that July 1st weather punctuated
00:00:55.780
with barbecuing and beer drinking ah the sweet sweet summertime it's always too short a season
00:01:03.160
in Canada is it not but if you happen to show up on Parliament Hill last weekend which is typically
00:01:10.620
home to Canada's biggest birthday bash well fun and frivolity and festivity were replaced by the
00:01:17.000
hallmarks of a police state I do not exaggerate folks Dominion Day weekend was reminiscent of the
00:01:24.760
Rolling Thunder event in late April that's when hundreds of bikers planned to ride around the
00:01:30.280
National War Memorial to pay tribute to our veterans now this was not a protest nor a demonstration
00:01:37.820
it was all about bikers many of them veterans themselves showing respect to those individuals
00:01:44.080
that Justin Trudeau says are asking for too much August 24th 2015 you made the promise
00:01:52.360
and I'll quote it here no veteran will be forced to fight their own government for the support and
00:01:58.780
compensation they have earned yet you are still currently in a legal battle with veterans regarding
00:02:05.080
equal support and compensation to their peers you have ISIL or ISIS members coming into a reintegration
00:02:16.360
program you did a backdoor deal with Omar Qadar with not even stepping into the courtroom you know so
00:02:24.160
again my question is what veterans were you talked about was the ones that fought for the freedoms and
00:02:31.600
values that you so proudly boast about or was it the ones who fought against because honestly mr. prime
00:02:37.840
minister I was prepared to be injured in the line of duty when I went to when I joined the military
00:02:43.900
nobody forced me to join the military I was prepared to be killed in action what I wasn't prepared for mr.
00:02:52.420
prime minister is Canada had turning its back on me
00:03:01.300
so which veteran was it that you were talking about
00:03:04.420
why are we still fighting against certain veterans groups in court because they're asking for more than we are able to give right now
00:03:17.420
but Ottawa went into full shutdown mode in April reducing rolling thunder to a tiny trickle
00:03:24.420
most of the bikers never got into downtown Ottawa with their hogs in fact if you are riding a Harley that weekend and displaying shockers
00:03:33.420
shockers a Canadian flag chances are you were profiled by law enforcement and essentially told that
00:03:40.980
undesirables weren't welcome in Ottawa so kindly get out of Dodge if you know what's good for you
00:03:47.740
indeed more than a thousand additional law enforcement personnel from other police services in Ontario
00:03:54.300
were called into Ottawa to patrol the streets and set up checkpoints and write tickets there was no way
00:04:02.500
justin trudeau was going to allow freedom convoy 2.0 to happen even though that was never the intention of the bikers in the first place
00:04:11.840
everybody knew that to be true including the prime minister so the whole exercise was basically law enforcement street theater
00:04:20.520
it was the justin trudeau liberals demonstrating to the people of Ottawa that they were going to do everything possible
00:04:28.900
to protect the citizens even though there was no clear and present danger to begin with
00:04:35.400
then again to paraphrase a Tina Turner song what's truth got to do with it
00:04:41.800
and so it was that Dominion Day weekend in Ottawa was deja vu all over again in terms of the capital city morphing into a police state
00:04:50.900
those temporary no stopping signs popped up all over downtown hey you couldn't even idle your car upon a legal parking spot
00:04:59.380
unless you wanted to have your vehicle hauled away to some impound lot and many were
00:05:05.340
the no stopping signage stated that a so-called special event was taking place in Ottawa
00:05:12.420
special event uh like what was an outdoor rock concert or a circus or something like that coming to town
00:05:20.080
oh goodness gracious no the special event is what the liberals referred to as the suspension of the rights
00:05:28.160
and freedoms and liberties Canadians used to freely embrace and enjoy be it freedom of expression
00:05:36.180
or freedom of religion the members of the Ottawa police service and Ottawa by law enforcement
00:05:43.080
were on constant patrol last weekend ticket books and handcuffs at the ready
00:05:56.120
Canadian families were showing up to Parliament Hill to celebrate Canada's birthday
00:06:01.180
and they were being demonized as either a basket full of deplorables
00:06:10.300
thanks Premier Ford and gee whatever happened to you Doug
00:06:14.700
the fireworks display was moved to another area and the traditional flyover by the snowbirds was cancelled
00:06:21.580
even ice cream trucks were told to move along or get fined
00:06:25.820
Ottawa was truly a fun-free zone during Canada's birthday
00:06:31.160
and yet no one was coming to Parliament Hill wearing trouble on their shirt sleeves
00:06:40.700
getting onto Parliament Hill was no sure thing last weekend you see
00:06:46.020
the Parliamentary Protective Service set up airport-style security at the entrance to the hill
00:06:56.560
it was surreal and get this when my cameraman Mauricio and I arrived in Ottawa on June 29th
00:07:03.520
we were actually denied entry to Parliament Hill
00:07:07.320
and even suspended from the hill for the rest of the day because
00:07:11.820
we would not surrender our devices such as cameras and cell phones
00:07:16.740
you see the gatekeepers wanted to go through our photo and video libraries
00:07:21.480
they wanted to permanently erase content that they did not approve of
00:07:27.440
were we in Canada in 2022 or East Berlin circa 1946
00:07:39.360
so maybe is it like sort of like the we the fringe flags or the F Trudeau flags
00:07:45.320
would that you know the we the fringe the F Trudeau flags would that be under the ban maybe or
00:08:03.320
that's it pretty sure okay but I'm not sure I would all again I would probably double check with the supervisor or something
00:08:09.280
they're all there's so many different like things that are not allowed and if I'm not sure I just double check with the supervisor
00:08:15.280
but I wouldn't see why it would be allowed all there's like a big list
00:08:20.280
sure but there's a full list like of all the items that are allowed and not allowed here
00:08:25.280
sure I would just be really personally interested in the flag policy man just
00:08:30.500
like you see a lot of Ukrainian flag people are standing and solidated in Ukraine right
00:08:34.660
would that be allowed or for sure yeah okay all right all right so I'm gonna ask you to turn off the camera please
00:08:39.820
this is security no security we don't film sorry can you delete it
00:08:43.520
can you delete it no yeah you need to delete it it's security you can't film
00:08:49.120
why would I because this is security when you go to the airport do you film inside
00:08:53.920
okay then well we have a policy of not deleting it no but this is security here this is security
00:08:59.860
you can't film anything beyond security you're allowed to do anything you want but anything here
00:09:06.080
you can't film you can't take pictures I'm going to ask you to delete it therefore for the rest of the
00:09:09.980
night uh we are not allowed on parliament hill can you believe that needless to say we did not
00:09:17.220
comply with their orders and we were promptly suspended so much for freedom of the press I guess
00:09:25.420
but get this just like the overwhelming presence of law enforcement the security checkpoints
00:09:32.000
were also about putting on a show as opposed to doing something tangible you see with my suspension
00:09:40.400
from the hill over I returned to parliament hill on sunday july 3rd to see if it would be if I would
00:09:47.220
be allowed to stand on the grassy incline I turned off my recording devices got in line got patted down
00:09:54.620
got scanned had my bag thoroughly searched and then once past checkpoint charlie I began to fill my report
00:10:02.760
and that's when a most amazing thing occurred the security checkpoint I had just passed through
00:10:09.920
was disassembled and packed away in a van check it out
00:10:14.960
so in other words had I visited parliament hill just five minutes later I wouldn't have had to have
00:10:38.120
gone through security I guess criminals and terrorists only attempt to get on the hill
00:10:43.100
before 5 p.m. as opposed to after 5 p.m. does this make any sense to anyone of course not it was
00:10:51.920
completely nonsensical what's more this too with so much security street theater orchestrated by the
00:10:59.600
Trudeau liberals in order to pretend they were protecting Canadians from a threat that did not exist
00:11:08.000
the freedom convoy may be long gone from Ottawa but the demonization and vilification continues
00:11:15.780
you know it was enough to make one protest all of these indignities except that parliament hill was
00:11:22.320
inexplicably a protest free zone during dominion day weekend case in point there was a political
00:11:30.020
prisoner currently incarcerated in Ottawa these days that would be Tamara Leach her imprisonment
00:11:36.740
is an outrage of course but look what happened when a supporter wrote free Tamara Leach in chalk
00:11:43.460
upon a sidewalk I was helping uh write I was helping write uh free Tamara and free Pat King political
00:11:52.600
prisoners across the Wellington street and I was pulled over and given a fine of about 1130 dollars
00:11:58.820
what did you use what did you use to write that on the streets chalk so parliament hill which should be
00:12:04.260
the one place in Canada where protests against the government should be deemed sacred is now a
00:12:12.180
demonstration free zone and how did that happen and is this the so-called new normal moving forward
00:12:20.560
golly it was only two summers ago that BLM protesters were painting Black Lives Matter on streets and sidewalks
00:12:28.100
they didn't receive any tickets in fact those Marxists even vandalized and tore down statues they didn't
00:12:35.220
care for and not only did law enforcement turn the other cheek they actually bent the knee in solidarity
00:12:42.940
with these vandals uncanny oh we also happened upon street preachers on Wellington street last weekend
00:12:50.580
but alas preaching the gospel and handing out leaflets would not be tolerated either
00:12:58.040
by town's brave and bold bylaw officers descended upon these preachers en masse
00:13:04.080
they were told they could not remain stationary even though they were not impeding the passage of anyone
00:13:11.200
they were however permitted to walk and talk yeah walk and talk you know
00:13:18.260
like prisoners in the penitentiary yard during exercise period then again downtown Ottawa in many
00:13:26.600
regards last weekend resembled a maximum security facility and from the fund police to the flag police
00:13:34.600
the gatekeepers at parliament hill were very picky about which flags one could bring up upon the hill
00:13:42.620
assuming you were allowed on the hill that is in any event the Canadian flag which is now vilified in
00:13:50.520
some circles thanks to its association with the freedom movement was thankfully allowed to be displayed
00:13:57.320
but I was informed flags bearing slogans such as F Trudeau and we the fringe were verboten apparently
00:14:05.740
one is not allowed to hurt the feelings of the governing liberals anymore it's not a law of course
00:14:12.580
it's just a memo oh I asked about another flag that is very popular these days namely the blue and yellow
00:14:20.140
flag of Ukraine can one display that on the hill I inquired and the officer said I had raised a very good
00:14:28.820
question and that she'd have to check with her supervisor to see if indeed the Ukrainian flag could be displayed
00:14:36.580
no folks I am not making this up you see the theme on the hill on this particular weekend was that Ottawa
00:14:45.020
would be a so-called hate free zone and so it was that the display of certain flags preaching the gospel
00:14:55.280
writing messages of solidarity for Tamara Leach heck even making unnecessary noise all of that was deemed to be
00:15:05.440
acts of hatred but as this grotesque clampdown of freedom of expression was taking place in Ottawa all in
00:15:15.640
the name of stamping out hate well get a load of what was taking place just down highway 401 in Toronto
00:15:23.260
on that very same weekend I speak of the conference that was staged by the Muslim Association of Canada
00:15:31.280
at the Enercare Centre the conference was rife with hate now you are forgiven if this comes as news to you
00:15:40.800
given that there was virtually zero mainstream media coverage of this event however thankfully Terry
00:15:49.360
Glovin of the National Post did write about this event in a recent column entitled quote the liberals are
00:15:57.380
funding hate how else to describe the speakers at this Toronto convention end quote the subhead states
00:16:06.060
quote speakers at Muslim Association of Canada gathering will include one who advocates the death penalty for
00:16:13.820
homosexuality and another who says it's okay to beat your wife end quote oh Nelly surely there must be some
00:16:23.420
mistake here there were folks at this hogtown gathering who were advocating execution for gays
00:16:31.000
and on the heels of pride month no less and wife beating too now call me rash but I think this business of
00:16:40.180
physically beating up a insubordinate female is the very textbook definition of oh you know misogyny
00:16:47.300
here's what Mr. Glavin chronicled quote homosexuality is filthy and homosexual acts warrant the death penalty
00:16:55.540
Christian Arabs who protect Jews from murderers are traitors a man should be permitted to beat his wife
00:17:03.400
these are among the obscene ideas promoted by several of the individuals who will be featured speakers
00:17:12.620
at a national three-day conference beginning on Canada Day in Toronto hosted by an organization
00:17:19.940
that the Trudeau government has provided with more than three million dollars in federal anti-hate
00:17:27.680
youth engagement and security funding over the past three years end quote
00:17:34.140
geez Louise where oh where are the hate police when you really need them
00:17:40.320
oh but it gets worse as Glavin notes it is the Muslim Association of Canada that is playing the victim
00:17:47.920
card these days you see the association claims it has been unfairly singled out by the Canada Revenue
00:17:54.900
Agency the CRA has been auditing the Muslim Association of Canada going back to 2015 and the association
00:18:03.520
claims there was a quote systemic Islamophobic bias in the bureaucracy end quote
00:18:11.260
and get this the association's biggest ally is none other than drumroll please Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
00:18:22.220
yes the PM actually suggested last year that the organization's Islamophobia allegations may indeed have some
00:18:31.940
merit as Glavin notes in Trudeau's opening comments to a mostly closed Islamophobia summit in Ottawa last July
00:18:40.600
the PM said the CRA should abandon practices that target Muslims said Trudeau quote institutions should support people
00:18:52.920
not target them end quote um is that right even when those institutions might be you know breaking the law Justin
00:19:03.420
it's fascinating Trudeau is basically telling the tax man to back off because he believes the CRA is
00:19:13.340
systemically Islamophobic then again Trudeau has a much better use for the CRA these days doesn't he
00:19:21.720
which is to say of course he wants the CRA to go after independent media organizations such as rebel news
00:19:29.960
given that we are not on the list of so-called qualified Canadian journalism organizations
00:19:37.180
yes our mission statement is to provide the other side of the story and that's not quite halal when it comes to the Trudeau liberals
00:19:45.720
given how hell-bent they are to introduce laws that will give them the power to actually censor the internet
00:19:54.060
but these censorious thugs take no issue whatsoever with the speakers at last weekend's Muslim Association of Canada event
00:20:04.200
such as Mohammed Ratab al-Nablusi this Syrian citizen is best known for his Nablusi Encyclopedia of Islamic Science
00:20:15.980
oh some science more like weird science that's because this charming document defends the death penalty
00:20:24.200
as a punishment for homosexuality on the grounds that being gay quote involves a filthy place
00:20:31.980
and does not generate offspring end quote gee how odd I didn't hear of the spirit unicorn people
00:20:39.920
staging a protest outside the inner care center last weekend then there was the events featured speaker
00:20:47.480
that would be Jamal Baddawi who says that Islam permits wife beating and he is also someone who defends
00:20:57.240
suicide bombings as heroic acts as heroic acts so there you have it folks advocating death to gays
00:21:05.540
and endorsing wife beating and giving the thumbs up to deadly acts of terrorism um am I missing some nuance here
00:21:15.920
because this rhetoric really sounds very hateful indeed but then again in the stupefying words of our prime minister
00:21:25.760
maybe me and you were experiencing things differently what a vile horrific double standard that is at play here
00:21:37.980
and while several speakers at the Muslim Association of Canada event were preaching violence and even death
00:21:47.080
to certain identifiable groups where aware was the police or bylaw enforcement
00:21:53.880
oh yeah I forgot they were too busy in Ottawa shutting down street preachers and prohibiting free Tamara Leach
00:22:04.320
graffiti being written on the sidewalk and banning flags that were deemed too impolite to the Liberal Party of Canada
00:22:18.400
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his boyfriend Jagmeet Singh have absolutely no problem embracing such a despicable double standard
00:22:48.400
well folks going back a few days ago this week that was quite the bombshell wasn't it
00:22:55.060
Patrick Brown disqualified by the Conservative Party of Canada
00:23:03.100
I mean Patrick Brown and scandal go together like macaroni and cheese
00:23:14.060
he's still fighting but I doubt he's going to have a favorable outcome
00:23:20.140
is this now going to be a coronation of Pierre Paulyev
00:23:34.180
I'm doing great by the way David thanks very much for hosting the show today
00:23:43.900
I'm in Calgary at the temporary office where we're housing our rebels
00:23:50.160
but we have about eight people working out of here
00:23:56.260
but one of the things I'm doing in town is later this afternoon
00:24:07.220
are hosting a CPC Conservative Party of Canada leadership contest
00:24:16.920
because I think one of the clashes people expected would be Paulyev versus Brown
00:24:24.620
and I understand that Paulyev is ducking the debate again
00:24:28.280
on the one hand David I could understand why someone who's such a front runner
00:24:35.960
I don't want to go to any more because there's no upside for me
00:24:41.540
I'm controlling my message by doing these prepared videos straight to the internet
00:24:45.900
there's no reason I would go just to be a punching bag
00:24:51.460
so I understand that from his own point of view
00:24:53.820
however from a news point of view and a party member point of view
00:24:58.160
they probably would like to see more cut and thrust
00:25:00.860
it also is sort of a power move saying I don't need to be there
00:25:06.880
let's just get over this whole preliminaries and assume I'm going to win
00:25:15.280
if the membership sales numbers as reported in the media are accurate
00:25:23.240
twice as much as Patrick Brown himself claims to have done
00:25:51.520
his principled, thoughtful, even lawyerly opposition to the lockdowns
00:25:59.560
I think was really the best performance of any lockdown skeptic in the country
00:26:08.020
and the fact that he was thrown out by Doug Ford
00:26:13.560
of course I'm a sentimental fan of Leslie Lewis
00:26:17.360
who I think is a wonderful part of the Conservative Party
00:26:27.700
and he supports things that rock-ribbed conservatives don't
00:26:36.940
I think he and Pierre Paulyev are bashing each other pretty hard
00:26:47.560
I think the problem with the previous two leaders
00:26:51.880
is that they wanted to be all things to all people
00:26:54.220
and they actually flip-flopped and tricked people afterwards
00:27:04.340
so I do not begrudge Jean Charest his candidacy
00:27:15.440
and I actually find myself liking him as a person
00:27:20.980
of course I would rather have a rock-ribbed conservative as a leader
00:27:30.260
in the way that Patrick Brown showed himself to be
00:27:37.040
even though it's going to be a little bit anticlimactic
00:27:41.980
he always hung around after the previous debates
00:27:46.380
whereas some candidates just bolted for the exit
00:27:50.460
but my friend what's consuming the oxygen right now
00:27:57.440
everyone's still leading with the Patrick Brown scandal
00:28:08.740
regardless of where this man is doing his politicking
00:28:32.220
perhaps the most prominent criminal lawyer in the country
00:28:37.680
and yet I'm wondering if that is going to amount to a hill of beans
00:29:13.220
that caused the conservative party to disqualify him
00:31:05.240
but he wants to show that he's going down fighting
00:31:18.100
and he's being dumped and thrown out time and again
00:31:26.660
with the Conservative Party of Canada leadership
00:32:37.700
what do you have against the people of Montreal