Juno News - October 17, 2022


Phantom honking and ＂microaggressions＂ - Highlights from week 1 of the Emergencies Act inquiry


Episode Stats

Length

7 minutes

Words per Minute

143.10426

Word Count

1,103

Sentence Count

90


Summary


Transcript

00:00:00.000 Now, I want to speak a little bit about the impacts that living through the protests of January and February had on both of you.
00:00:08.660 Ms. Dallarant, can you describe for the Commissioner what was the impact, if any, on your physical well-being?
00:00:17.660 The impact on my physical well-being is quite extensive.
00:00:23.320 I certainly, during the experience, had difficulty sleeping.
00:00:32.560 I had an effect on my lungs and my throat because of the fumes and other smells.
00:00:39.920 And I also have long-term effects.
00:00:43.400 Can you describe those for us?
00:00:45.440 The long-term effects are loss of hearing, loss of balance, some vertical, triggered by the sound of any horn now, triggered by certain music, as the music was very loud,
00:01:08.300 and a physical trigger when I get a smell of gas.
00:01:14.700 Both my throat and lungs start to feel infected.
00:01:20.460 I had also a phantom horn blowing as an experience for a number of weeks after.
00:01:30.500 On these intersections, oftentimes there were illegal bonfires and, yeah, just trash burning right next to, you know, cans of fuel
00:01:42.460 or near the same areas where these individuals would later set off fireworks.
00:01:49.760 And I just remember feeling like it was such a surreal sight.
00:01:54.640 It almost felt like you were in something like The Purge because it, though I didn't often see direct acts of violence,
00:02:04.060 it was, there was a certain chaos on the streets.
00:02:09.400 I understand that you had the interactions with the protesters and you confronted them on Kent Street.
00:02:16.040 Is that correct?
00:02:17.760 Correct.
00:02:18.500 Right.
00:02:18.740 And when you confronted those protesters, do you remember saying to them, which was recorded, go back to where the f**k you were from?
00:02:25.840 I may have said that.
00:02:27.280 Okay.
00:02:28.580 And I take it that you never saw any of the, or never said to the commission or saw any protesters or truckers physically harm anyone, is that right?
00:02:37.720 There was only the, I would describe it as intimidation with a truck.
00:02:42.440 Okay.
00:02:42.880 Okay.
00:02:43.480 And you never said to the commission, and nothing in that regard with respect to seeing protesters or truckers threatening to physically harm anyone either, did you?
00:02:53.160 I did not make that statement.
00:02:54.700 All right.
00:02:55.400 And you didn't say to the commission or see anything in your observations that could be classified as espionage or sabotage?
00:03:01.900 I'm sorry?
00:03:03.020 You didn't see anything that could be classified as espionage or sabotage?
00:03:06.800 Uh, no.
00:03:07.760 Thank you.
00:03:08.220 And you didn't say to the commission or, uh, observe any of the protesters or truckers destroy or light a fire any buildings or anything like that?
00:03:16.760 Not inside of any buildings, no, just outside.
00:03:19.520 Outside.
00:03:20.260 So you're saying that they were destroying the outside of buildings?
00:03:22.600 I did not say that.
00:03:23.600 I said they were lighting fires outside of buildings, as in the bonfires that were all over the city.
00:03:28.700 Right.
00:03:29.020 But they weren't trying to knock down any form of buildings or property or anything like that?
00:03:33.260 I can't comment to their intentions.
00:03:34.680 Well, I understand their intentions, but, uh, I submit you didn't see them do anything like that?
00:03:39.540 Nope.
00:03:39.860 I just saw the fires.
00:03:40.900 Open fires.
00:03:41.960 Great.
00:03:42.300 And you didn't see them try to destroy any other trucks or vehicles or light them a fire or anything?
00:03:49.140 I did not.
00:03:50.800 Thank you.
00:03:51.520 In your evidence, uh, you made use of a term you referred to as microaggression.
00:03:57.700 Is that right?
00:03:58.760 I believe so.
00:03:59.760 Multiple times.
00:04:00.380 Okay.
00:04:01.340 Is microaggression, is your understanding of that, that it means verbal and environmental slights?
00:04:08.300 I'm francophone.
00:04:09.040 So if you want to ask me specific things about words, you're going to have to ask me in French.
00:04:14.940 You're asking me a theory about how to define something.
00:04:17.260 Unfortunately, my knowledge of English terminology is perhaps not sufficiently appropriate, Commissioner.
00:04:25.260 Je m'appelle Brendan.
00:04:29.880 My name is Brendan.
00:04:31.000 I, I, I think, you know, it is funny, but it's not.
00:04:37.760 I'm, I am doing my very best to answer clear questions in English.
00:04:41.660 You asked me a very specific question on a definition.
00:04:44.440 I'm saying, ask me, clarify in French.
00:04:47.240 I'm glad to specify if it is yes or no.
00:04:50.260 The specificity of the nuance of a word.
00:04:53.560 I'm, I'm uncomfortable in responding to your question.
00:04:55.720 What of the words of, that I put to you, and there's a few, so means, verbal, and environmental and slights is confusing.
00:05:10.800 Is there, which one are you confused about?
00:05:13.220 J'ai, j'ai expliqué plusieurs fois.
00:05:14.620 I've already explained, tried to express this, and I've explained this to the commissioner, that, to my mind, everything in the periphery of the red zone was what I would describe as being microaggressions.
00:05:33.380 I could describe microaggressions to you.
00:05:35.060 For example, go in front of somebody and pull their mask off.
00:05:37.860 I don't know how we want to describe that as a definition, but that's an example of a microaggression.
00:05:44.120 Walking into a restaurant, being asked to leave, and sitting down without having the right to stay.
00:05:51.140 That's another microaggression.
00:05:53.700 Fighting somebody who's homeless.
00:05:57.460 Beating somebody who's homeless.
00:05:58.580 That's another microaggression.
00:06:00.060 Another type of aggression.
00:06:01.440 Making so much noise at such high volumes that you have to close down in daycare.
00:06:05.960 That's another kind of aggression.
00:06:08.160 That's how I've described aggressions, Commissioner.
00:06:11.420 I'm not a lawyer.
00:06:12.660 I don't have a background in specifics, but I'm trying to use the terminology that I can to be as specific as possible to describe what I received as information and what I was able to see.
00:06:22.880 Can I get him a pair of these so he can understand what I'm saying in English as well, please?
00:06:27.840 Oh, that's mean.
00:06:32.840 Is that possible?
00:06:33.760 Oh, my God.
00:06:35.160 I'm sorry.
00:06:37.860 Do you need this?
00:06:46.980 Would you like one of these for when I question you in English?
00:06:50.120 Because I'm unfortunately incapable of speaking French.
00:06:52.720 And I will do my very best to answer in English, but it was a very, I don't need it.
00:06:57.080 Thank you.
00:06:57.780 Okay.
00:06:58.120 Thank you.
00:07:00.420 So you had said that beating up a homeless person was an aggression, at least the translation.
00:07:08.320 That's what it was.
00:07:11.600 That's more of an assault.
00:07:12.600 So had you witnessed any homeless people get beaten up by protesters?
00:07:16.720 No, if you recall my intervention, the Shepherds of Good Hope is located at the corner of King Edward and Murray.
00:07:25.580 There was an incident with a client.
00:07:28.040 The executive director reached out to me to inform me of the incident.
00:07:32.360 Okay.
00:07:33.320 And were any charges laid?
00:07:35.660 I have no clue.
00:07:36.280 Okay.
00:07:36.980 Who was the individual who was beaten?
00:07:40.020 Do you know?
00:07:40.540 I have no clue.
00:07:41.340 Okay.
00:07:42.100 Thanks.