Rebel News Podcast - Best of 2020： Rebels Arrested

00:00:00.000 Hello, my Rebels, and I hope you're having a good Christmas time.

00:00:04.380 Hopefully you're having a chance to take a break from a busy year, or maybe

00:00:07.640 you're still on staycation and have been for many months. Either way,

00:00:12.060 it's a pleasure to have you listen to the podcast. Over the days ahead, we have

00:00:16.020 the best of the Rebel compilations of some of our favorite videos

00:00:20.340 this past year. I hope you enjoy them. We'll be back with original

00:00:23.960 programming very early in the new year, but I think a lot

00:00:28.140 of these videos you're about to hear today and the next few days

00:00:31.200 may well be new to you because they were on our YouTube channel, but they

00:00:36.120 were not on my show, The Ezra LeVant Show. So I hope you enjoy these

00:00:39.920 because I think most of them may be new for you, and they're really some of our best work.

00:00:44.320 So without further ado, here are the best of the Rebels

00:00:48.060 shows from 2020. And just

00:00:52.140 in closing, let me invite you to become a Rebel News Plus subscriber. You get the

00:00:56.120 video version of these

00:00:58.220 shows, which the podcast is great,

00:01:00.620 but seeing the visuals, especially

00:01:02.460 in some of our most dramatic coverage,

00:01:04.380 really makes a difference. Just go to rebelnews.com,

00:01:06.380 click subscribe. It's eight bucks a month.

00:01:08.240 As you know, we don't take a dime from Trudeau.

00:01:10.540 So this is how we, well, we

00:01:12.260 rely on you, frankly. Okay.

00:01:14.440 Here's today's show.

00:01:15.200 Tonight, in our year in review, rebels being arrested. It's December 29th, and this is The Ezra LeVant Show.

00:01:37.720 Why should others go to jail when you're a biggest carbon consumer I know?

00:01:43.680 There's 8,500 customers here, and you won't give them an answer.

00:01:47.740 The only thing I have to say to the government about why I publish it is because it's my bloody right to do so.

00:01:58.400 You think we're in the journalism business, and we are, but increasingly we're in the legal business.

00:02:02.900 We fight public interest law for other people through our Fight the Fines project and other projects like that.

00:02:09.480 But too often,

00:02:11.400 we're defending our own freedoms,

00:02:13.600 our own freedom of association,

00:02:15.700 assembly, freedom of the press,

00:02:17.620 freedom of speech.

00:02:18.980 Rebels who have been arrested.

00:02:22.320 That's the subject of today's

00:02:23.860 Best of the Rebel Year in Review.

00:02:26.420 Rebels under arrest.

00:02:28.340 I have some terrible news to report.

00:02:30.680 My friend and colleague David Menzies, beloved by many public interest journalists, was just arrested.

00:02:37.340 I'm telling you to leave, so you should leave.

00:02:39.720 I think it's incredibly important that you know, and I'm talking to you.

00:02:43.440 He was there reporting on the corrupt mayor of the city, Patrick Brown.

00:02:49.580 Are you ready to leave now?

00:02:50.580 I am not, sir.

00:02:51.220 I am here to...

00:02:51.820 I'm going to help you off the property, that's all.

00:02:53.460 Is he under arrest?

00:02:54.260 He's not under arrest.

00:02:54.920 I swear to you,

00:02:56.040 You're not touching me, officer.

00:02:57.100 That we will go through such a disclosure procedure,

00:03:00.980 and we will have every one of the officers there,

00:03:03.680 and we will answer the question,

00:03:06.120 who made the order

00:03:07.360 to arrest a journalist doing public interest journalism on a public sidewalk?

00:03:12.160 I'm not under arrest, so you can't touch me right now.

00:03:14.660 Are you wanting to leave, then?

00:03:15.660 I am not.

00:03:16.660 What they have given to us is an opening to give that rotten city hall an enema.

00:03:30.660 I didn't come to play games.

00:03:34.120 My time is too valuable to come here and play games in a Brampton parking lot.

00:03:38.460 Believe me, there is a very important constitutional principle at stake.

00:03:42.140 Look at this, four cars, and all you cops pulled off the shooting file.

00:03:45.980 You must be proud.

00:03:47.860 You're not listening to me.

00:03:49.620 You're not listening to me.

00:03:50.680 Not three, but four police cars came to arrest a journalist?

00:04:00.660 The ideal outcome is that we go out there

00:04:04.040 and no one interferes with our civil abuse.

00:04:10.660 That's all we want.

00:04:11.600 We just want to do journalism.

00:04:16.000 Well, here we are again at the Earnscliff Recreation Center.

00:04:20.300 This is the home to Patrick Brown Hockey Night in Brampton.

00:04:25.020 Him and his mostly Berry buddies come down here,

00:04:27.900 typically at 5 o'clock on Wednesdays.

00:04:31.400 He's been doing this for several weeks.

00:04:32.640 Sometimes he shifts the time around folks so he can try to give us a slip.

00:04:37.320 As you know, we've been told by security and police we are persona or media non grata here.

00:04:43.580 We've been given these, I don't know what it is.

00:04:47.320 It is from Paladin Security, Notice Prohibiting Entry.

00:04:51.380 This is evidently some sort of a trespass notice,

00:04:56.020 but it's published on a paper with a corporate logo on it.

00:05:01.920 The lawyers we've run this pass say this isn't worth the paper it's written on.

00:05:06.320 You may as well give somebody a card from Community Chest or Chance saying go to jail,

00:05:11.380 go directly to jail, don't pass go, don't collect $200.

00:05:14.440 Well, we were shooed off the property last week, as you know.

00:05:18.420 Get off the property.

00:05:20.000 Okay, sir, walk faster, get off the property.

00:05:22.340 But we're back and we have lawyered up.

00:05:25.400 And we're going to see if Patrick Brown does indeed come back here for his weekly game of shinny.

00:05:31.280 I've got some questions for him, for example.

00:05:33.400 First of all, why has he lied so much?

00:05:35.760 We also have the big boss man himself, Ezra Levent.

00:05:39.020 Yeah, he has come down to the Ernst Cliff Recreation Center too.

00:05:42.860 Well, David, it's great to see you.

00:05:45.440 Thanks for breaking this story.

00:05:47.020 That was an amazing exclusive.

00:05:49.280 That look on his face when he realized that he was caught red-handed.

00:05:53.880 I'm not here today on that story.

00:05:57.040 You've done a great job.

00:05:58.520 I think you've covered all the bases.

00:05:59.960 I'm here for a different reason.

00:06:01.860 Because I saw that when you came here last week to ask these questions,

00:06:06.240 a bunch of Brampton taxpayer-paid private security tried to shoo you away.

00:06:15.580 That didn't work.

00:06:17.240 And then three police cars plus an unmarked police car of the Peel Regional Police pulled up right here.

00:06:26.620 A bunch of cops came out, argued with you for a bit, and you had a lawyer there, and said, get out.

00:06:36.420 And you did a pretty good job of saying, no, we're journalists, we're here to work.

00:06:40.260 But at the end of the day, the cops started pushing, physically pushing.

00:06:45.040 Oh, and Ezra, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but speak of the devil and he shall appear.

00:06:49.000 Here comes the first Paladin security van.

00:06:52.120 So I imagine this is the initial volley of fire.

00:06:57.100 We're probably going to be told that we're trespassing.

00:07:00.500 I mean, mall security, private security, whatever.

00:07:03.020 They're guys working for a living.

00:07:05.020 That's fine.

00:07:06.120 They're not real police.

00:07:07.200 Because when the real police came and honored the false trespass notices, pushed our people and said, get out, I thought that's unacceptable.

00:07:21.960 Because we're law-abiding people.

00:07:24.040 We generally support the police.

00:07:25.280 We don't like this anti-police mania that's gripped much of the world.

00:07:31.680 But we also believe in freedom of the press.

00:07:35.720 And there's simply no way that we will be deterred from reporting on public property, on a public sidewalk, a public interest investigation, into a public person, namely the mayor.

00:07:50.460 So it looks like a gentleman has presented himself here.

00:07:53.660 You can see we brought with us a lawyer named Giddy Mammon.

00:07:58.080 And maybe we should get a...

00:07:59.960 I'm sorry, I think I overheard you, sir, say that we cannot be here.

00:08:02.960 Yes, you guys have been trespassed.

00:08:05.060 You guys are not allowed to be here.

00:08:06.560 What do you mean by you guys?

00:08:08.420 My...

00:08:08.780 Rebel News.

00:08:09.800 Rebel News.

00:08:10.900 What's Rebel News?

00:08:12.540 It's the media.

00:08:13.920 It's the media?

00:08:14.540 So the media is being trespassed?

00:08:16.040 Usually the way it plays out, Ezra, is first the Paladin Security Service come, then the police at obviously a cost of thousands of dollars.

00:08:28.720 And if I can just point out, as we were discussing earlier today, our good friend Joe Warmington of the Toronto Sun has a front-page story.

00:08:35.640 This happened in Brampton, folks.

00:08:37.260 It was a shootout at a cemetery with the ostensible reason to add three more people that were there to, I guess, bemoan the loss of a loved one at the cemetery.

00:08:49.200 This is real crime, isn't it, Ezra?

00:08:52.960 This is attempted murder, and yet they're going to send out three, four cruisers today?

00:08:58.400 Well, we'll see.

00:08:59.240 I'm here because we have ourselves a freedom of speech problem.

00:09:02.780 We have ourselves a rule of law problem.

00:09:05.500 We have ourselves, perhaps, a politicization of the police problem.

00:09:10.660 Hey, part of me really doesn't care what private security does.

00:09:13.960 I think it's gross that Patrick Brown is apparently using taxpayers' money as his personal security force.

00:09:20.120 I think that's in poor taste, but poor taste is Patrick Brown's middle name.

00:09:24.360 What I'm more concerned about is the Peel Regional Police, which has a good reputation.

00:09:28.840 And if they are going to be running errands, like it's one thing for this gentleman here to run errands for Patrick Brown.

00:09:35.800 I get it.

00:09:36.680 You know, it's his job.

00:09:38.480 He's not a cop.

00:09:39.180 I don't have to listen to him.

00:09:40.840 But, at least not on public property where I am.

00:09:44.120 But it's another thing when the cops come and say the same thing.

00:09:47.720 What's that?

00:09:48.820 Police will be contacted if you guys are refusing to leave.

00:09:51.200 What's my name?

00:09:52.940 I'm not sure you will find out.

00:09:54.360 Well, you said I've been trespassed.

00:09:57.120 I don't even think that's a verb.

00:10:00.760 But why would I leave?

00:10:07.160 You guys have been trespassed.

00:10:08.240 Please make your way.

00:10:08.740 What does that mean, I've been trespassed?

00:10:10.000 I have not been trespassed.

00:10:11.460 You're on the sidewalk.

00:10:11.740 You got the more of the welcome.

00:10:12.520 I'm on the sidewalk.

00:10:13.480 No, not over here.

00:10:14.400 This is city member property.

00:10:15.760 I'm glad you acknowledged that.

00:10:17.740 Hey, can you do me a favor?

00:10:18.700 Can you show me your license?

00:10:20.620 If you don't show me your license, if you don't show me your license, this is the Private Security and Investigative Services Act.

00:10:27.160 Every person who's acting as a security guard or holding himself out as one shall, on request, produce his or her license.

00:10:36.280 This guy here is not the problem.

00:10:45.580 This is just some guy.

00:10:46.660 I'm not going to be mean to him.

00:10:47.880 But if a Peel Regional Police officer comes and says you can't do public interest journalism on the public sidewalk of public property, we've got ourselves a constitutional issue.

00:10:59.440 Giddy, what do you make of what's going on so far?

00:11:02.700 Well, it's interesting that a member of the press is being denied the opportunity to report on government misconduct.

00:11:09.360 I mean, it's not a little right.

00:11:11.400 It's a right that's guaranteed under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

00:11:14.440 Without a free press, you have a government that can act with impunity, and that would be a tremendous threat to democracy.

00:11:21.940 It's not a rule or regulation.

00:11:23.700 It's contained in the supreme law of the land.

00:11:29.300 I don't propose to negotiate my freedoms with a corporate security team.

00:11:35.200 They are what they are.

00:11:36.780 It's a blue-collar job.

00:11:38.040 I respect people who work for a living.

00:11:39.500 I'm just not going to give up my civil liberties to stand on a public sidewalk, to do publicist interest journalism about a public politician.

00:11:49.260 By asking to see their security guard's license, that's my way of saying, I know my way around, fellas.

00:11:55.900 Don't try and think you're going to take away my freedom speech.

00:11:58.500 And they're not.

00:11:59.320 They're not.

00:11:59.720 They're standing over there.

00:12:01.120 That's fine.

00:12:07.820 How do you do?

00:12:09.500 Ezra Levant's my name.

00:12:11.540 Do you shake hands or just wave in the time of pandemic?

00:12:15.120 No, no.

00:12:15.800 I think one of these guys called.

00:12:26.300 Hey, how are you?

00:12:27.020 I'm Ezra Levant.

00:12:29.040 Some of my colleagues.

00:12:30.160 How are you today?

00:12:31.040 Good.

00:12:31.340 Why are we back again?

00:12:32.840 Doing journalism in the public interest, on public property.

00:12:36.320 That's not true, sir.

00:12:39.660 May I introduce my lawyer, Giddy Mammon?

00:12:42.100 He's a bit tougher than my last lawyer.

00:12:44.400 He's a bit better briefed on the law this time.

00:12:46.260 This gentleman here has been trespassed already several times.

00:12:51.440 A true option.

00:12:52.040 That is true.

00:12:52.840 It is.

00:12:53.320 And that's what they're telling us.

00:12:54.620 We've been here, right?

00:12:55.300 And he's just advised me that he's requested that you guys leave the premises and you're refusing.

00:13:00.460 So now I'm asking you to leave the premises.

00:13:02.940 Oh, there is a fourth vehicle here.

00:13:04.360 I'm hoping that you're going to do that.

00:13:05.400 So the thing is, trespass to property act, it's an arrestable offense.

00:13:10.840 If you refuse to leave, you can be arrested.

00:13:12.780 So I'm just asking you, are you refusing to leave or are you going to be leaving the property?

00:13:16.360 We have not violated the trespass to property acts.

00:13:19.300 It's a flawed notice, both in form and substance, sir.

00:13:22.960 This is what we were served, sirs.

00:13:25.640 It's got Paladin's corporate logo on it.

00:13:28.660 You know what?

00:13:29.420 We're not here to argue with you about that.

00:13:32.300 I'm here to tell you that you're trespassing.

00:13:34.240 But it doesn't work that way on public property.

00:13:36.660 We're not.

00:13:37.480 You know, let's hand it over to Giddy Mammon, who's ready, who's been practicing for this moment by studying the law, unlike our friends from Paladin.

00:13:44.640 Go ahead, Giddy.

00:13:45.540 So the Charter of Rights under Section 2B gives them freedom of the press.

00:13:50.160 The Charter of Rights is the supreme law of Canada.

00:13:52.960 It's important.

00:13:53.700 It's an important right.

00:13:54.880 It's enshrined in the Charter because without that, you'd have no checks and balances on government.

00:13:59.340 So there's case law, very clear case law, that talks about trespass and balancing the rights of the press.

00:14:09.240 You are here to enforce the law as you determine it exists.

00:14:15.480 The Charter of Rights allows them to be on public property and report to the public what they find.

00:14:23.860 That is a far greater interest that outweighs anything in that trespass notice that may have been issued to Mr. Menzies.

00:14:31.580 Now, if you have some authority that suggests that when you embarrass the mayor of Brampton, you lose your right to freedom of the press, then clearly that would be the law.

00:14:45.540 But there just isn't such law.

00:14:46.980 Now, we came here today to exercise 2B rights under the Charter.

00:14:53.620 Now, you can arrest him for doing that.

00:14:56.220 But we came here to make sure that the right of the press is not abridged by a little yellow piece of paper.

00:15:05.380 So you have a job to do.

00:15:07.120 You have to decide whether you want to de-escalate the situation, let this man report, right, or arrest him.

00:15:12.440 The only thing today is to tell him to leave, and so he needs to leave.

00:15:16.620 It's as simple as that.

00:15:17.620 I completely understand.

00:15:19.360 We're not coming here wanting to arrest you.

00:15:21.240 That's not the case, right?

00:15:22.460 We've been here.

00:15:22.940 I think this is the fifth time we're here now.

00:15:25.260 This isn't what we want to do.

00:15:26.740 That's not what we want to do.

00:15:28.060 We just want to keep the peace and enforce the Trespass to Property Act, which means that all we're asking you is to leave the premise.

00:15:34.440 That's all we're asking you.

00:15:35.500 If you fail to do so, then you can be arrested.

00:15:37.840 I don't want to do that, though.

00:15:38.800 If you don't agree with the Trespass to Property Act, then you'll have to have your day in court and go deal with it that way.

00:15:44.940 I completely agree with the Trespass to Property Act.

00:15:48.600 It's very good.

00:15:49.340 It's very useful.

00:15:50.520 The way it was used in this situation is unlawful.

00:15:53.780 It's clearly unlawful.

00:15:55.840 That's my role is to challenge legislation.

00:15:59.060 You challenge that in court, right?

00:16:01.000 I'm just here to enforce the Trespass to Property Act.

00:16:05.140 I'm just here to do my job, sir.

00:16:06.700 Practice journalism.

00:16:07.480 You should have trespassed under the Trespass to Property Act.

00:16:10.800 It needs to be a balance.

00:16:12.480 Okay, but this isn't the police...

00:16:14.160 Hold on there, hold on there.

00:16:15.700 Look how many people...

00:16:16.980 This isn't a court testimony right now.

00:16:18.600 You decided how many officers to deploy, and...

00:16:24.380 I get called.

00:16:24.940 I have to attend.

00:16:25.860 Of course you have to attend.

00:16:26.920 But you chose to come with this many policemen.

00:16:30.300 Who's wasting resources?

00:16:32.280 Did you guys come away from the shooting at the cemetery to tackle David Manzies?

00:16:36.340 No, we're not...

00:16:36.820 Pulled off the shooting case?

00:16:39.240 Who sent four cars?

00:16:41.280 I don't know why you have to be so challenging, sir.

00:16:42.960 Because I'm a journalist on a public property, that's why.

00:16:45.740 They said that they've trespassed this man with the hat.

00:16:48.240 They're liars.

00:16:49.700 I've got the form right here.

00:16:51.460 With all due respect, sir, Gideon Mammon is my lawyer here today.

00:16:54.800 Public property.

00:16:55.380 This works on private property, means.

00:16:57.740 This is my Law Society card, okay?

00:16:59.860 And I don't advise people to break the law, okay?

00:17:03.220 I do...

00:17:03.880 No, no, you believe that I advise my clients to break the law, but I did not actually do that.

00:17:09.100 I'm asking for a minute, please.

00:17:10.740 I understand that.

00:17:11.560 I understand that.

00:17:12.100 Okay, we're not here to argue, but it's as simple as this.

00:17:15.700 You're not supposed to be here.

00:17:17.260 They've told you to leave.

00:17:18.520 You're not leaving.

00:17:19.320 I'm telling you to leave.

00:17:21.020 So you should leave.

00:17:22.000 I think it's incredibly important that you know...

00:17:23.960 I'm not talking to him.

00:17:24.580 And I'm talking to you.

00:17:25.520 I'm talking to him.

00:17:25.800 And I'm talking to you.

00:17:26.880 Because you have to know this.

00:17:27.860 I'm talking to you.

00:17:28.600 Sir, after, you can talk to the officer.

00:17:29.700 Are you willing...

00:17:30.400 Are you ready to leave now?

00:17:31.320 I am not, sir.

00:17:32.020 I am here to...

00:17:32.560 I'm going to help you off the property.

00:17:33.660 Let's go.

00:17:34.260 Is he under arrest?

00:17:35.000 He's not under arrest.

00:17:35.740 Well, then, why are you touching me, officer?

00:17:37.960 Why are you...

00:17:38.760 I will arrest you for TPA, then.

00:17:41.360 Let's go.

00:17:41.740 That's assault.

00:17:43.000 I'm not under arrest, so you can't touch me, right?

00:17:45.220 Are you wanting to leave, then?

00:17:46.760 Arrest him or go away?

00:17:48.040 You said that there's two options.

00:17:49.160 Arrest him or go away, mate?

00:17:50.380 Just arrest him.

00:17:51.160 Okay, I'll arrest you for TPA.

00:17:52.800 Okay.

00:17:53.220 Let's do that.

00:17:53.620 I'm going to arrest him.

00:17:55.940 What do I do now?

00:17:57.080 Do you like me to play?

00:17:57.880 Peel Regional Police.

00:18:00.640 Brampton's finest.

00:18:01.700 Arresting a journalist.

00:18:02.840 For trying to ask questions of the mayor.

00:18:06.300 They're errand boys for the mayor.

00:18:08.420 Can we back up?

00:18:08.960 Peel Regional Police pulling their men off of a mass shooting at the cemetery.

00:18:13.740 I'm an officer safety issue.

00:18:15.060 It's an officer safety?

00:18:16.220 Don't lie.

00:18:16.840 Please don't lie.

00:18:17.580 Stop lying.

00:18:18.160 You're at the back of my officers.

00:18:20.100 My colleagues.

00:18:20.900 You're not listening to me.

00:18:22.180 You're not listening to the law, mate.

00:18:24.120 You're not listening to the law.

00:18:25.020 I am listening.

00:18:25.560 This is public property.

00:18:26.780 That's fantastic.

00:18:26.980 There's a different standard for the Trespass Act in public property.

00:18:30.400 Take it up a proper way instead of coming up here.

00:18:32.840 Like, what's this getting?

00:18:33.740 Why are you listening to a hand-scrawled note that's not even served?

00:18:38.780 Does he have it in his hand?

00:18:41.200 I could verbally ask you or tell you that you're not allowed on the property.

00:18:44.700 If I didn't have the right to be here, he has the right to be here.

00:18:48.480 Not when an agent of the property has asked you not.

00:18:51.500 Not on public property, mate.

00:18:52.900 You're confusing private property with public property.

00:18:55.820 We will.

00:18:56.500 Look at this.

00:18:56.900 Four cars and all you cops pulled off the shooting file.

00:19:00.260 You must be proud.

00:19:01.220 Someone has to decide.

00:19:03.760 The courts have to decide.

00:19:05.280 Yeah, and the courts can decide.

00:19:06.420 But in the meantime, he's been asked to me.

00:19:08.380 If you feel that this is the best way to de-escalate the situation, then so be it.

00:19:12.840 Five weeks in a row, is that not enough?

00:19:14.760 Have they disturbed anybody?

00:19:16.660 Have they bothered anybody?

00:19:17.680 Have they destroyed any property?

00:19:18.780 That's not my call.

00:19:20.100 Sure it is.

00:19:20.940 No, it's not.

00:19:21.340 If you're a security...

00:19:22.280 Is this my first time being here?

00:19:23.280 Hold on.

00:19:23.820 I'm talking, actually.

00:19:24.880 No, no, I'm going to talk.

00:19:27.660 Go ahead.

00:19:28.280 Feel free to talk.

00:19:28.740 This is the fifth time in a row.

00:19:30.040 I understand that.

00:19:30.600 Right?

00:19:31.220 They are agents of the property whether you like it or not.

00:19:34.060 Right.

00:19:34.480 Okay, and I get all the...

00:19:35.960 They arrested David Menzies.

00:19:38.180 He's in the car right now.

00:19:40.080 Sure, go ahead.

00:19:42.160 If you think this is the best way to handle the situation, that's fine.

00:19:47.360 There's courts, there's courts.

00:19:48.840 I think the best way for him just to not come here...

00:19:50.640 No, no, that's not the best way.

00:19:51.980 ...and take it to the courts.

00:19:52.740 The best way...

00:19:53.500 Is that David's stuff?

00:19:54.000 The best way is to allow the press to do their job.

00:19:56.840 That's the best way.

00:19:57.760 You don't want to do that, that's fine.

00:19:59.140 That's your judgment call.

00:20:00.380 And that's an opinion, right?

00:20:01.480 Of course it's an opinion.

00:20:02.540 It's a legal opinion.

00:20:03.440 That's my opinion.

00:20:04.680 You're going to argue that it's public property.

00:20:06.460 It is public property.

00:20:07.480 That's not my call.

00:20:08.160 All I know is that they're the agents.

00:20:10.120 They are in charge of the property.

00:20:11.620 They ask them to leave.

00:20:13.360 It's the same...

00:20:13.780 So you want to hear my point?

00:20:14.820 No, not really.

00:20:15.480 Then there's not a conversation, right?

00:20:17.740 That's fine by me.

00:20:18.340 What you're doing is doing...

00:20:20.160 You can talk to your colleague.

00:20:22.940 Efren, this is a very bad day for the rule of law in Canada.

00:20:27.500 What you may have just seen is David Menzies,

00:20:31.820 a public interest journalist on public property,

00:20:36.220 investigating the misconduct of a public person,

00:20:39.960 the mayor of Brampton.

00:20:41.060 But four police cruisers were sent to arrest him

00:20:45.440 if he didn't stop his journalism.

00:20:48.600 They gave him a hand-scrawled form of a trespass notice.

00:20:52.740 By they, I mean the hired guns of the private security firm.

00:20:57.780 But it doesn't affect public property.

00:21:00.920 Public property is governed by the Parks Bylaw.

00:21:04.160 You can't just have mayors kicking off private people from public property.

00:21:10.100 So this was an unlawful arrest.

00:21:13.140 And I'm going to confer with our lawyer, Giddy Mammon,

00:21:15.640 and I'm going to confer with David.

00:21:17.380 But right now, my instinct is to not only appeal this atrocious arrest,

00:21:22.600 but to file a civil suit against everyone involved here.

00:21:26.400 This story about Patrick Brown sneaking into an arena

00:21:31.040 that he banned kids from is an interesting story,

00:21:34.340 but we've covered it already.

00:21:36.160 But far more dangerous is a story of police

00:21:39.300 listening to private hired guns

00:21:42.340 arresting journalists on a public sidewalk.

00:21:46.100 That's why I'm here.

00:21:47.420 That's why we brought a tougher lawyer, Giddy Mammon, with us.

00:21:50.160 And that's why I believe we're going to wind up in court.

00:21:52.620 It'll be interesting to see if they try and arrest the rest of us.

00:21:55.140 But I don't think that security guards, as fine people as they are,

00:22:01.000 can stop a respected journalist from doing this job.

00:22:04.720 I just don't think that's the way our society works here in Canada.

00:22:07.940 You know, I do a lot of immigration.

00:22:09.240 I bring people from outside of the country to Canada.

00:22:12.520 You know why?

00:22:13.200 They come here because we have freedoms.

00:22:15.420 We have rights.

00:22:16.320 We have freedoms.

00:22:17.360 And nobody, no cop, no minister, no journalist, no lawyer,

00:22:21.780 nobody is better than the other one.

00:22:23.840 We're all the same.

00:22:25.160 We're all under the same law.

00:22:27.340 That's what I do.

00:22:28.520 That's what I'm looking for here.

00:22:30.300 I didn't come to play games.

00:22:31.620 My time is too valuable to come here and play games in a Brampton parking lot.

00:22:35.940 Believe me.

00:22:36.680 There is a very important constitutional principle at stake.

00:22:40.060 No one else seems to be interested other than these guys.

00:22:43.180 So if you have to arrest them, arrest them.

00:22:46.520 Arrest them.

00:22:46.980 We know what to do next.

00:22:48.680 I just don't want to have any problems with you guys.

00:22:50.300 You guys seem like fine people.

00:22:52.120 So, you know, you know, the other officer doesn't want to hear from me.

00:22:55.500 That's fine.

00:22:55.900 I respect that.

00:22:56.740 I spoke with a mother whose kids are in summer camp.

00:22:58.720 They see all this.

00:22:59.900 She's fearful of those kids.

00:23:01.380 She can't be fearful for me because I've never...

00:23:03.460 She's fearful.

00:23:04.260 I'll give you my identification.

00:23:06.120 One second, Ezra.

00:23:07.480 Maybe that'll help.

00:23:08.380 You know what you can do?

00:23:09.660 You can do.

00:23:10.080 You can take my identification.

00:23:11.400 You can look me up.

00:23:12.460 See if I have a criminal record.

00:23:13.420 I have four children.

00:23:14.200 I never had a problem with the law.

00:23:15.900 No one has any reason to be afraid of me.

00:23:18.420 Ezra, I don't know what his record is.

00:23:20.060 I'm just...

00:23:20.740 To be honest with you, kids would be more afraid of you with guns and all that

00:23:24.560 than they would have been a suit and a binder.

00:23:26.520 There's an entire production every week.

00:23:28.160 It's not a production.

00:23:29.220 It's not a production.

00:23:30.380 It really is.

00:23:31.520 Look, your job is to de-escalate.

00:23:34.000 This is how you feel you're going to do it.

00:23:35.560 That's okay.

00:23:36.200 That's your judgment call.

00:23:37.700 Fair enough.

00:23:38.420 Here you have a clearly orchestrated response.

00:23:42.060 This doesn't happen naturally that you have four or five cars coming.

00:23:45.220 This was a political decision, and our litigation will smoke that out.

00:23:49.640 And we'll see who your master is and if it was real policing.

00:23:53.360 And this guy here, despite the private security act, will not show his license to me on demand.

00:24:00.340 That's an offense.

00:24:01.080 Are you going to arrest him?

00:24:02.340 Are you going to arrest him for that?

00:24:04.840 It's illegal for him to hold himself out as a security guard without furnishing his license on demand.

00:24:11.360 I've asked him about five times.

00:24:13.480 I think you have to arrest him, unless you're working for Patrick Brown.

00:24:16.900 Sir.

00:24:17.120 I can guarantee you right now, there are fewer Peel Regional Police officers investigating the mass shooting at the cemetery than are here investigating David Menzies doing journalism.

00:24:32.040 And it is not an accident that five cop cars or whatever the number is were dispatched within minutes.

00:24:40.640 If you have a robbery or a stolen property in Brampton, get ready to wait weeks for the police to get back to you.

00:24:49.520 But if David Menzies has a question for the mayor, well, the police will be there in minutes.

00:24:57.720 There's something rotten in this town, and I think only litigation will bring it out.

00:25:01.860 I was hopeful when I came here today that it would just be the mall cops.

00:25:06.460 And listen, there's a place for mall cops.

00:25:08.780 The mall.

00:25:09.160 I was hopeful that the Peel Regional Police would be too busy chasing down the mass shooters to come here.

00:25:17.420 Alas, I was wrong.

00:25:19.400 I'm troubled by the lack of rule of law in this country.

00:25:23.520 The one thing I will say about this time, as opposed to the last time, is at least they didn't push the cameraman around, too.

00:25:30.280 At least there was not a physical assault on our cameraman.

00:25:33.080 And I credit the presence of our lawyer, Giddy Mammon, for that.

00:25:36.440 I'm going to stick around a little bit longer.

00:25:37.960 We'll see what happens with David.

00:25:39.280 He's still in the police car.

00:25:41.060 That one security guard there, I'm giving him a hard time because he won't show me his security guard's license.

00:25:46.500 He doesn't like it when the rules are applied against him.

00:25:48.780 But by God, he'll push them against David doing journalism.

00:25:52.780 I think in the course of the litigation that is ahead of us, Ezra, we're going to get all the discovery that we need.

00:25:58.360 We're going to find out exactly what is happening here.

00:26:01.340 Because I think that video that David took, really, you don't need to see much further than that.

00:26:06.400 He embarrassed Patrick Brown by showing that he was there.

00:26:11.280 We saw his hockey bag.

00:26:12.560 Somebody carried it in for him.

00:26:14.200 We all know what he was doing there.

00:26:16.420 He bald-faced lied about it.

00:26:18.100 It's embarrassing.

00:26:19.240 And to make sure you don't get in his face again, what does he do?

00:26:22.500 He makes sure that you guys are trespassed.

00:26:24.440 So we're here to show that the press doesn't fold.

00:26:28.060 Not this press.

00:26:29.140 The press doesn't fold so easily.

00:26:31.420 And somebody is going to be held to account, Ezra.

00:26:34.860 I saw that officer grabbing David and trying to push him off the property.

00:26:40.460 He had no right to do that unless he was arresting him.

00:26:42.400 And he said, no, I'm not arresting him.

00:26:43.880 So David wasn't being threatening to anyone.

00:26:46.480 You know, I was here the whole time.

00:26:48.280 You know, I'm so glad you were here because it's those, it's having that calm, legal thinking in the heat of the moment.

00:26:56.040 I'm angry because I love my people.

00:26:58.820 For sure.

00:26:59.220 And I love the free, and listen, the story of Patrick Brown sneaking into this arena, that story's old now.

00:27:05.180 It's a month old.

00:27:06.260 And we've told it.

00:27:07.480 Well.

00:27:07.660 I'm here because of the police over the reaction.

00:27:11.960 You know, Ezra, I'm going to tell you, what I'm thinking about, David is going to be okay.

00:27:16.200 Nothing's going to happen to David, okay?

00:27:18.440 But what's going to happen, the people who are really going to look bad, David, is not going to even be Patrick Brown.

00:27:24.200 And it's not even going to be these officers who showed up.

00:27:26.800 It's going to be your colleagues in the press, okay, who are letting you fight this fight on your own.

00:27:32.600 They probably want David to be arrested.

00:27:33.840 It's not understanding, not understanding that if this continues, and this goes to other networks and other newspapers and other journalists,

00:27:43.100 that as soon as you say something that is slightly embarrassing to some government official,

00:27:47.600 if something like this is going to happen to you, then we effectively have no press in Canada that we can count on to out the government when they misbehave.

00:27:57.880 That is not the country that I signed up for when my family came to Canada.

00:28:03.840 We came here so everybody is treated exactly the same.

00:28:08.500 I heard the squawking on one of these security guards' walkie-talkie.

00:28:13.420 I think they've got a surveillance unit here because someone would say, oh, there's a camera in the tree line.

00:28:18.960 Someone was calling the shots.

00:28:21.240 I think that Patrick Brown or his flunkies have spent tens of thousands of dollars tracking David and our journalists.

00:28:29.720 And God knows how much has been spent in police budgets.

00:28:32.720 We will fight back.

00:28:35.820 So help me, God.

00:28:37.400 I promise everyone, friend and foe alike, we will fight this to the Supreme Court if necessary.

00:28:45.940 It's that important to me.

00:28:47.400 What did they say in the car, David?

00:28:50.620 Well, I've been, I guess if these Paladin security notices of trespass are invalid, we sure got an official one now, boss.

00:29:01.160 It's the, it's a ticket.

00:29:03.620 I think it's for $65.

00:29:05.280 Failure to leave premises when directed, the Trespass to Property Act, $65.

00:29:11.980 David, let me swear on the altar of God.

00:29:15.240 I will spend $65,000 fighting this.

00:29:19.420 And Officer 3953 and Officer 4002 will be sued for false arrest.

00:29:26.860 And this is the guy who assaulted you.

00:29:29.320 I swear we will fight this to the end.

00:29:31.920 You know, I hope to God for, you know, we are funded by our viewers.

00:29:36.100 I hope the fees will never come to that extent, Ezra.

00:29:40.460 But, you know, I do believe in fighting for our rights.

00:29:43.480 You know, I know these fellows are doing their job, but...

00:29:45.700 They're not doing their job.

00:29:46.580 That's the problem.

00:29:47.160 They're doing Patrick Brown's errands.

00:29:48.780 Yeah, that is true.

00:29:49.960 And it is a sad day.

00:29:52.400 I feel for the people of Peel Region that so much law enforcement resources have to be deployed.

00:30:00.160 There are four cars here today taking off that mass shooting to come here today to take a big old bad you.

00:30:05.400 I guess so.

00:30:06.600 And I feel bad for that.

00:30:07.940 I feel bad to the taxpayers.

00:30:09.460 And I, and, but my ire is not with these officers.

00:30:12.420 It is with Mayor Patrick Brown.

00:30:14.300 This is a personal vendetta.

00:30:16.080 Following orders, we learned, is not an, is not a legal excuse.

00:30:18.940 I was just following orders.

00:30:20.160 I was just following orders.

00:30:21.220 Yeah, where have we heard that before?

00:30:22.940 I remember that.

00:30:23.740 It's in the Nuremberg.

00:30:24.560 Have a good day.

00:30:27.240 Okay, buddy.

00:30:28.140 All right.

00:30:28.760 Take care.

00:30:29.160 Be safe.

00:30:29.940 David, I, you know what?

00:30:31.520 You're such an amiable fellow.

00:30:33.800 You're such a nice guy.

00:30:35.260 You're even nice to your jailers.

00:30:37.400 I will be less nice.

00:30:39.220 Well, you know, I, the only contempt I have in my heart is for a mayor who is refusing to lead by example.

00:30:47.220 A man who is obviously, in my estimation, Ezra, very petty, very vindictive.

00:30:53.380 The fact that all of, you know, it's like all the king's horses and all the king's men have to come to the Ernst Clift Recreation Center to shut down the practice of journalism.

00:31:03.160 And we had an excellent lawyer.

00:31:05.280 We have an excellent lawyer in Gideon, but they just wouldn't listen.

00:31:09.820 And maybe we have to go to a court of law to make them listen.

00:31:12.920 Absolutely.

00:31:13.280 Well, well, David, thanks for your courage.

00:31:15.600 And, you know, I'm impressed with how even-keeled you are, for I have nothing but bile in me.

00:31:22.080 I can tell you've got the eye of the tiger, Ezra, and I know that's going to serve as well in a court of law.

00:31:29.860 Well, I can't stand for this.

00:31:31.340 Well, thank you for being courageous.

00:31:34.000 And a number of us had come here today expecting and prepared to be arrested, including some of our team here and even myself.

00:31:40.620 And I thank you for undergoing that unpleasantness on behalf of not only all of us, but on behalf of this freedom that will be tested in this court case.

00:31:52.700 Well, and, you know, Ezra, that's the thing.

00:31:54.200 It's for the greater good, isn't it?

00:31:55.540 This is about taking a stance in the public square, being able to practice journalism without having to be thrown into a police cruiser or thrown behind bars.

00:32:05.800 It would be great if the other members of the media, like Giddy said, were so, you know, passionate as we are about things like freedom of the press, freedom of expression, freedom of speech.

00:32:21.200 But they're not.

00:32:22.200 So I guess we have to do it.

00:32:25.320 Well, David was put in the back of a police car, forcibly, and then he was walked off the property.

00:32:33.840 And, you know, David is such a good-spirited guy.

00:32:38.660 He was so pleasant with the officers.

00:32:41.540 They had a friendly goodbye as if they were old pals.

00:32:44.940 And for that, you have to admire his good humor.

00:32:49.960 I don't have that good humor because I feel like we have been wronged.

00:32:57.060 Not personally.

00:32:58.200 It's not a personal wrong.

00:32:59.060 It's the Charter of Rights, Section 2B, that all Canadians have has been wronged, first by the private security and second by the Peel Regional Police.

00:33:12.180 And so what I think is so important to do is to take the ticket and turn it around in sort of a judo move.

00:33:20.900 The ticket, I looked at it, it was actually only a $65 ticket.

00:33:26.620 We've spent much more than that on legal costs to be here today.

00:33:31.800 We will spend probably $65,000 in a lawsuit not only appealing this ticket all the way to the Supreme Court,

00:33:39.780 but suing the members of the Peel Regional Police who allowed themselves to be used as pawns by Patrick Brown.

00:33:46.840 You know, I was a little testy with some of the cops here because they were a little too gleeful

00:33:50.140 in smiting the freedoms that they're dedicated to protect.

00:33:55.320 But at the end of the day, I have to remember, it wasn't these cops that made the decision

00:33:58.960 to send four police cars and one, two, three, four, five, six cops.

00:34:03.100 They didn't decide to do that.

00:34:04.520 But if they had their way, they'd probably be out investigating this mass shooting at the cemetery.

00:34:09.420 They were directed to do this by someone higher.

00:34:13.180 And I swear to God that we will find out who did that and we will smoke it out.

00:34:18.580 Because justice demands it for David, but our charter rights of freedom of the press demand it for all of us.

00:34:26.400 And symbolically, by walking back here now, before we leave, we demonstrate that we do not bend the knee.

00:34:34.520 To Patrick Brown, his paid personal security retinue, or the Peel Regional Police,

00:34:42.140 even if they're directed to be here by some corrupt boss.

00:34:46.220 For Rebel News, I'm Ezra Levante.

00:34:49.200 For over two months, Canadians have been in lockdown, staying in their homes.

00:34:52.920 And Justin Trudeau has been doing largely the same.

00:34:55.300 He's been hosting these press conferences that have been a replace for Parliament here at the Rideau Complex here in Ottawa.

00:35:02.400 I've been on the phone with Justin Trudeau for about two months now, calling pretty much every single day.

00:35:08.060 And I'm always getting the cold shoulder.

00:35:10.920 The Parliamentary Press Gallery reigns supreme here.

00:35:13.980 They're not allowing anyone who is not approved by Justin Trudeau, by Terry Guion, really,

00:35:19.080 to ask the Prime Minister questions over the phone.

00:35:22.020 There's four questions for reporters on the phone every day.

00:35:24.940 And those questions go to reporters across Canada, but they largely are from the Press Gallery.

00:35:29.800 Now, me in Calgary, on the phone, it's not working.

00:35:31.980 So I decided I would come here to Ottawa.

00:35:34.760 I'm at the Princess Anne entrance.

00:35:36.760 Every day, I get an email from Justin Trudeau's office saying that reporters can come here.

00:35:41.920 There's open media coverage.

00:35:43.800 They can come here to the Princess Anne entrance and then go forward, proceed to Rideau Cottage.

00:35:48.300 I'm going there right now.

00:35:50.040 I'm going to see if they let me in.

00:35:51.680 And then when I do, I have a slew of questions that have been building up for me to ask Justin Trudeau

00:35:57.840 over the past two months.

00:35:58.720 So I'm going to ask them all today, hopefully.

00:36:00.780 We'll see if we can get in.

00:36:02.240 Let's go.

00:36:02.640 So you are with Rebel News.

00:36:10.520 So they just let us in.

00:36:12.420 I'm a little bit surprised right now.

00:36:13.660 I didn't think that we were going to get this far.

00:36:15.860 I showed them my badge, which I guess, to be fair, was good enough for the Hong Kong police

00:36:19.460 force not to tear gas me.

00:36:20.860 So I guess it was good enough for them.

00:36:22.600 They said they directed us to the P1 entrance.

00:36:25.260 We're going to follow the CBC van and see if we can get in.

00:36:27.820 Just before we got in, Le Devoir, which is an organization in Quebec that has gotten a

00:36:32.920 huge share of all of the questions over the phone, they were in that car right before

00:36:37.200 us.

00:36:37.740 And after he let them in, he radioed forward to someone saying who they were and who they

00:36:42.980 were with.

00:36:43.860 So right after we went in, I presume they sent some sort of message to Trudeau or his staffers

00:36:50.380 to say Rebel News is in the house.

00:36:52.420 So hopefully they don't stop us now, because I have a few questions to ask.

00:36:55.940 So we're here.

00:36:57.040 We're here at the doorstep of Justin Trudeau's house, right here.

00:37:00.360 The media that has come in so far has already put their stuff down right here, and they're

00:37:03.140 just sort of waiting to be let in to the final step of this press conference.

00:37:07.140 There's a lot to go through.

00:37:08.380 He's the prime minister.

00:37:09.080 That's fair, I guess.

00:37:10.300 So we're here waiting with the rest of the media to get in and ask these questions.

00:37:14.960 What's interesting here is Terry Guion, actually, the former head of the Parliamentary Press

00:37:41.900 Gallery turned PMO staffer, sort of illustrates how close the two organizations are tied to

00:37:47.560 each other.

00:37:47.940 He came out with his mask on and then was being condescending as usual.

00:37:51.500 It's funny.

00:37:51.860 The first time I saw him was in a hockey rink when he body checked me in northern Saskatchewan.

00:37:56.900 The second time I saw him was actually at the White House.

00:37:59.120 He was a little starstruck, I think.

00:38:00.620 So my guess is he doesn't want us here.

00:38:03.720 So I'm going to read out now the questions that I would be asking, that I hope to ask,

00:38:07.900 because I do hope that I get in.

00:38:09.220 I'm going to ask the prime minister, on January 23rd, a committee of 15 officials at the World

00:38:14.260 Health Organization had voted on whether to declare the virus a global health emergency.

00:38:19.040 It was a split decision, but China actually ended up winning the vote, and the WHO did

00:38:23.100 not declare an emergency.

00:38:24.840 Theresa Tam was on that committee representing Canada.

00:38:28.000 I want to know which way she voted.

00:38:29.900 Right now we have no idea.

00:38:31.840 The follow-up is such.

00:38:33.380 Mr. Prime Minister, you have allowed Dr. Theresa Tam to remain employed by the World Health

00:38:37.420 Organization throughout this pandemic.

00:38:39.220 If there is a conflict between the WHO's interests and Canada's interests, which boss

00:38:44.260 does she follow?

00:38:45.300 Or does she simply agree with whatever the WHO says, even though they have been wrong on

00:38:50.000 so many occasions?

00:38:51.700 Now we want to ask those questions to Justin Trudeau.

00:38:54.860 They're very straightforward questions, very reasonable questions.

00:38:57.860 And let's hope that we can do it.

00:38:59.340 Are all of you members of the media okay with this, how the federal government is treating

00:39:18.660 media in this country?

00:39:19.580 You're going to allow them to pick and choose what reporters come in?

00:39:23.180 Sheep.

00:39:24.040 It's what you guys are.

00:39:24.940 Close to one.

00:39:27.000 So do we just wait here?

00:39:28.020 Does it feel good censoring media in this country?

00:39:36.980 This badge was actually good enough for the Hong Kong police force, and it's not good enough

00:39:40.540 for you.

00:39:43.460 Is that true?

00:39:44.900 I'm not answering any questions right now.

00:39:46.220 Why is that?

00:39:47.600 Did Justin Trudeau tell you that he didn't want any journalists that would ask difficult

00:39:51.120 questions in there?

00:39:52.120 I'm not making any comments.

00:39:53.760 Why?

00:39:54.420 Because you're ashamed?

00:39:55.560 Not at all.

00:39:56.220 No comments.

00:39:57.100 Is this open to the public?

00:39:58.560 No, it's not.

00:39:59.360 It's not?

00:39:59.780 Why am I here then?

00:40:00.380 I'm going to be warning you.

00:40:01.380 Any disturbance, anything, you'll destroy it out of the site.

00:40:04.780 How did I get in here if it's not open to the public?

00:40:08.760 You're not coming in.

00:40:09.580 That's it.

00:40:10.140 But I'm in the Rideau complex.

00:40:12.100 You are.

00:40:12.580 This is where the Governor General lives.

00:40:13.800 This is where the Prime Minister lives.

00:40:15.040 How did I get in here?

00:40:16.720 I got all the way here until a partisan political staffer said, no, he's not allowed in.

00:40:22.320 I can escort you right now.

00:40:24.040 Okay, so I'm here within my rights.

00:40:26.620 Turn off the microphone.

00:40:28.120 I'll answer the question.

00:40:28.920 Turn it off.

00:40:29.740 Put it on the ground.

00:40:38.400 Sergeant Leduc, he says.

00:40:39.920 I'm in front of all the students of this site, including Rideau Hall and France's events,

00:40:43.720 okay?

00:40:44.120 My legal counsel is telling me I don't have to put anything on the ground.

00:40:51.840 This is Canada, not China, for **** sakes.

00:40:53.660 As long as you're on my ground, I can order you to do anything I want.

00:40:56.300 Sorry?

00:40:56.720 As long as you're on my ground.

00:40:58.060 This is my site.

00:40:58.900 I'm in charge of security.

00:40:59.680 This is your site?

00:41:00.700 See, actually, it's the taxpayers that own this building.

00:41:02.900 I'm in charge of security.

00:41:03.860 And that's all I'm going to answer right now.

00:41:05.140 There's no picture on the ground.

00:41:06.340 No picture on the ground?

00:41:07.340 You're not allowed to take any picture of the security side of France here.

00:41:09.940 I'm going to ask you to review your camera right now.

00:41:13.580 Sorry?

00:41:14.200 I'm going to ask you to review your pictures right now.

00:41:15.740 You want to review my pictures?

00:41:16.960 If you don't show me, I'm going to escort you out.

00:41:18.740 I'm not showing you my pictures, man.

00:41:20.080 Okay.

00:41:20.320 This isn't Hong Kong.

00:41:21.400 Okay.

00:41:21.920 Let's go.

00:41:23.680 You're not welcome on this site.

00:41:25.320 I'm actually...

00:41:25.820 You can't do it.

00:41:26.280 The cars let me in.

00:41:26.960 No.

00:41:27.320 I'm telling you, being in charge of the site, you're not welcome.

00:41:29.680 Okay?

00:41:30.260 I'm going to ask you to leave.

00:41:31.200 Or we'll be escorting out.

00:41:33.320 Yeah.

00:41:33.740 I don't have an intention to leave.

00:41:35.080 I want to ask the questions.

00:41:35.540 Do you have a car here?

00:41:36.260 Sorry, what?

00:41:36.880 Do you have a car here or did you walk in?

00:41:39.220 I walked in.

00:41:39.940 Okay.

00:41:40.260 Let's go.

00:41:41.680 Are you going to arrest me?

00:41:43.040 I'm going to escort you out.

00:41:44.300 So he's not arresting me.

00:41:45.260 Okay.

00:41:45.460 Let's go.

00:41:46.360 Don't touch me.

00:41:47.060 I will.

00:41:54.480 This is Ottawa, Canada, 2020, when Justin Trudeau is having his RCMP throw out a journalist

00:42:01.160 for no reason.

00:42:02.800 Because I wouldn't show him my phone.

00:42:05.460 I wouldn't show him what pictures I've taken.

00:42:10.080 You're twisting my arm harder.

00:42:15.460 How do you sleep at night knowing that you are leading to the death of this democracy?

00:42:26.440 What was his name?

00:42:27.460 Sergeant LeDuc.

00:42:31.160 I'm not resisting anything.

00:42:39.200 You're just doing a bad job.

00:42:40.400 You're not under arrest.

00:42:40.980 You're just being escorting out.

00:42:41.840 I'm not under arrest, but you have your hands on me like this?

00:42:44.020 What are you doing?

00:42:45.260 You're going to walk through your other side?

00:42:50.160 This is cute and all, but I'm not all that into you.

00:42:53.260 I was allowed in here as a journalist.

00:42:55.800 And then when a partisan staffer, a political staffer, says, no, we don't want that particular

00:43:02.320 journalist in here, you do his bidding.

00:43:07.300 Laughing?

00:43:07.980 You think this is a joke?

00:43:09.140 So this is where we are in Canada.

00:43:15.460 In 2020, I go to ask very simple questions.

00:43:17.660 Very straightforward, level-headed, and questions that the Canadian public needs answers to.

00:43:22.140 But his political staff will do whatever they can to protect him.

00:43:25.280 They have the press gallery on a leash.

00:43:27.760 Just a big disgrace is what is going on here.

00:43:30.140 If you want to support our coverage, if you want to see more of it, as we try to ask Justin

00:43:36.500 Trudeau very basic questions, which will expose him as a puppet of China, go to letusreport.ca.

00:43:45.500 We have one ask.

00:43:47.020 We want to report on what is going on in Ottawa during this global pandemic.

00:43:52.240 Help us do that by going to letusreport.ca.

00:43:55.140 If you can pitch in a few bucks to help me with my trip here and home, my cameraman as

00:43:58.560 well, we go a long ways.

00:44:00.300 We're not done here in Ottawa.

00:44:01.360 Stay tuned for more.

00:44:02.700 Media is exempted.

00:44:04.520 Lock her up.

00:44:05.660 Lock her up.

00:44:07.480 No, no.

00:44:08.300 Media is exempted.

00:44:09.340 Media is exempted.

00:44:10.640 Stop, stop, stop, stop.

00:44:15.500 Hi, everybody.

00:44:16.460 It's Anna Slats, and I am in New York City, where some dramatic events have unfolded over

00:44:22.480 the last 24 hours, as some of you may have heard.

00:44:25.080 I was here in New York City, trying to get some great footage and some great context for

00:44:32.420 the Antifa riots and George Floyd protests that have been racking many U.S. cities.

00:44:39.680 As many of you know, I was in Washington, D.C. just before this.

00:44:44.800 I was sent out by Rebel News just to get the real story and to see what was happening on

00:44:49.900 the ground.

00:44:50.720 Unfortunately, my plans were stifled, to say the least.

00:44:53.740 After a short period of time covering the protests and even a little bit of the looting

00:44:58.820 and destruction that happened here on the 2nd, I was arrested by NYPD, and I was arrested

00:45:05.900 largely for filming them while they were taking down innocent bystanders who were just in the

00:45:14.600 scene of the looting while letting the looters go and run free.

00:45:18.020 I started the evening by marching with the Black Lives Matter protesters who had assembled.

00:45:26.860 The protest was largely peaceful.

00:45:29.580 When we got to Union Square, there was well over 2,000 people involved in the marching demonstration.

00:45:37.420 No property had been destroyed.

00:45:39.500 Nothing of that sort had taken place.

00:45:41.700 But I got to witness a few interesting interactions that happened in Union Square between Black Lives

00:45:47.020 Matter protesters.

00:45:48.800 While some Black Lives Matter protesters were out there with their megaphones condemning

00:45:53.760 any looting or destruction and requesting their fellow marchers not to promote or engage

00:45:59.660 in that, some other Black Lives Matter protesters were suggesting that it was in fact a form of

00:46:05.060 reparations and that they should be allowed to loot and pillage and destroy as much as they

00:46:10.400 wanted to.

00:46:11.080 If someone goes and loot something, that's what's promised to them.

00:46:14.720 We've taken our own shit!

00:46:16.000 From the first half of the civil war.

00:46:17.180 Wait, wait.

00:46:18.400 So we need to stop this whole bull**** about, oh, we need to be peaceful,

00:46:21.820 peace, be, peace, be, peace, be, peace, be, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

00:46:26.700 Later on in the evening, there was a very interesting interaction I was witness to,

00:46:30.880 but unfortunately could not get on my recordings, and that was between a young man who was involved

00:46:37.640 in the march and some of the march's leaders.

00:46:40.480 This young man was trying to discourage the marching line from heading up certain streets

00:46:46.380 because he informed us that there were looters waiting in the dark and shady spots of those streets

00:46:54.300 for the marching line to converge upon where they were so that the looting could begin.

00:47:04.860 Looters had managed to actually rip down the plywood guard for the doors.

00:47:09.640 As they were coming out, some were actually just throwing the clothes up into the air,

00:47:12.940 just igniting even more chaos as people rushed to go and grab whatever they were throwing and dropping.

00:47:18.320 One Black Lives Matter protester who was furious that anyone was looting the Zara

00:47:23.020 began to get into physical altercations with the looters.

00:47:27.680 If you're here to protest police brutality, you will stop these looters.

00:47:33.160 You will stop these looters right here.

00:47:36.060 You will stand up to this guy infiltrating our loot.

00:47:42.940 You're not an ally!

00:47:47.320 You're not an ally!

00:47:49.320 As I continued to film, the NYPD showed up, and when they did show up, of course the looters scattered,

00:47:56.320 but rather than going for the looters, the people who obviously had handfuls of clothes,

00:48:02.660 big backpacks full of merchandise that they had taken from the Zara,

00:48:06.020 or even people who were coming out of the Zara in the broken glass entrance,

00:48:11.400 they began just arresting random bystanders.

00:48:16.400 People, perhaps, who they knew would not resist arrest, would not try to run,

00:48:22.400 make their life a little bit easier.

00:48:24.400 I recorded one man who absolutely had nothing to do with the looting, brutally tackled to the ground,

00:48:35.780 and NYPD shoved his face into the pavement while attempting to arrest him.

00:48:40.780 Shortly after that, a swarm of NYPD began to brutally call out anybody who was even remotely close to the Zara,

00:48:47.780 whether or not they had poor intentions or not, threatening to arrest all of them,

00:48:53.020 I became a target for the NYPD.

00:48:56.160 While I was holding up my press pass, clearly showing it, and yelling out I am media

00:49:02.000 to all of the NYPD officers who looked my direction,

00:49:05.500 I began to be brutally shoved around with a baton to my chest, telling me to go home,

00:49:12.600 that I was past curfew, that I was breaking the curfew, that exists here in New York,

00:49:17.300 one that goes into play at around 8pm every night.

00:49:21.100 However, media is exempt from the curfew, just like essential workers,

00:49:25.420 such as those in healthcare or grocery or transportation.

00:49:30.680 So I was yelling, media is exempt from the curfew.

00:49:33.920 It's not exactly something I should have had to say to the NYPD,

00:49:37.120 as they should know the laws that they are enforcing.

00:49:39.760 After I took a baton to the chest, an NYPD officer grabbed me by the throat

00:49:43.900 and threw me into the middle of the intersection.

00:49:46.040 Hold up!

00:49:50.040 Media is exempted! Media is exempted!

00:49:53.240 After stumbling my way to the next sidewalk on the parallel street,

00:49:57.380 I was accosted by a police officer and a white-shirted lieutenant,

00:50:05.320 who then demanded that I be arrested.

00:50:09.120 Media is exempted! The mayor!

00:50:10.820 The mayor said media is exempted!

00:50:13.260 Media is exempted!

00:50:15.400 Lock her up! Lock her up!

00:50:18.400 No! No! Media is exempted! Media is exempted!

00:50:21.400 Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!

00:50:24.760 They then took me to Brooklyn Central Processing,

00:50:27.700 where they put me in a cell that was maybe very generously measured

00:50:33.080 at 5 feet by 16 feet, and there were 20 other women in the cell with me.

00:50:39.160 We were literally back to chest, and these women were in tremendous amounts of pain.

00:50:48.100 Some of them had injuries.

00:50:49.800 Some of them had their cuffs sewn so tight that their hands were bleeding.

00:50:54.940 Some of them had, you know, big swollen fingers because they had been wearing their zip ties

00:51:00.280 or their metal cuffs for hours and hours and hours.

00:51:03.540 It included two healthcare aides who had been arrested while caring for their client, their patient.

00:51:13.960 There was a woman with lupus who had a catheter in her chest for another condition.

00:51:21.560 And they told me how their patient had literally been begging the NYPD not to arrest them because

00:51:30.340 she needed help with her catheter and with her medications and so on.

00:51:34.680 They arrested these two girls for being out past curfew and they charged them with burglary.

00:51:40.760 There was a 12-year-old boy in the male cell that was directly beside the female cell,

00:51:45.260 measured exactly the same, perhaps with even more bodies in it.

00:51:50.340 He was 12, a 12-year-old boy, and he looked 12.

00:51:55.540 He was so short and tiny with such big eyes, I'll never forget how scared he looked.

00:52:02.080 At around 3.30 a.m. I was transferred from Brooklyn Central Processing to Manhattan Central Processing,

00:52:09.660 where I got to experience yet another booking.

00:52:14.160 This time, one that included a full search of my person in a pretty degrading way.

00:52:20.540 And I was put in a cell that was, you know, very similar in condition to the one that I experienced in Brooklyn.

00:52:28.180 It was overcrowded.

00:52:29.720 When I got in there, it made nine women that had to share those three metal benches to try to get some semblance of sleep.

00:52:36.660 Of course, I never slept.

00:52:38.660 While in Manhattan, they refused to give people phone calls.

00:52:44.660 There were a few women that I shared a cell with who routinely broke down thinking about how they weren't able to contact their families.

00:52:52.080 And when they told me how long that they had been in that cell, I was in shock.

00:53:00.080 Some of those women had been in there, including a pregnant woman, had been in there for seven days.

00:53:06.500 I actually started to lose hope at one point that I would ever be released because what was supposed to be a very quick processing where I had my charge and I spoke to a judge and it would get ultimately dismissed turned into a fear that I would be forgotten like the rest of those women were.

00:53:29.500 The rest of those women who, by and large, after speaking to so many of them, had never been involved in the protest or the looting and were just standers by that the NYPD just happened to be able to grab.

00:53:41.500 These were just anybody they could grab, anybody at arm's reach who would comply and who would disappear through the system.

00:53:48.500 After I was released from Manhattan Central Processing, I was actually greeted by some strange bedfellows.

00:53:55.500 The National Lawyers Guild, which is a pretty infamous group charity that mostly handles Antifa legal support, was actually waiting for me outside the back entrance of the prison that they snuck me out of.

00:54:11.500 They said, oh, you're Anna Slats.

00:54:14.500 Yes, I am.

00:54:16.500 They very kindly drove me to Brooklyn where my items were still in holding.

00:54:23.500 I'm not going to stop covering riots or marches.

00:54:28.500 I'm not deterred by what the NYPD did to me.

00:54:33.500 I am emboldened, I am strengthened, and I will continue to do what it is I feel like I do best, and that is get right to the heart of the action and show you what is happening on the ground wherever you want to see it.

00:54:48.500 But I want to thank you all for showing me such a tremendous amount of support during a really desperate and scary moment in my career.

00:54:57.500 I also want to thank my employer at Rebel News, who continued to fight for me behind the scenes, even though I was unaware of it most of the time just because of how cut off I was from the rest of the world.

00:55:09.500 There were so many things being done that were all aimed at trying to get me out as fast as possible.

00:55:15.500 There was a website established while I was in called Save Anna Slats, and if you'd like to continue to support me, you can visit that website.

00:55:23.500 You can visit StopAntifa.com, which is where I put the majority of my riot coverage so far from Washington, D.C.

00:55:31.500 So this is Anna Slats in New York City, a free woman once again, and going to be back up to my old antics very, very soon. Have a good night, guys.

00:55:44.500 I want to start this report by firstly thanking everyone for all the love and support you've shown since the footage of my unprovoked and violent arrest on Saturday was released.

00:55:56.500 And an extra special thanks to the over 10,000 people who have already signed my petition. It's humbling.

00:56:03.500 If you haven't signed it, I'm sure, after watching this report, you're going to want to.

00:56:07.500 So when you're done, head over to StandWithAvi.com and sign and share my petition demanding an end to the Victorian police state that detains journalists for doing our job.

00:56:19.500 This report is going to show you what really happened on Saturday from the moment I head to the protest.

00:56:26.500 It exposes how police are abusing their new state of emergency powers and even worse, how the mainstream media is helping them get away with it.

00:56:37.500 Watch it from the beginning to the end and then share it far and wide.

00:56:41.500 This is one of the protests that I actually have no idea how it's going to end today.

00:56:48.500 We're now driving to the Freedom Day rally, the anti-lockdown protest that has been banned in Melbourne.

00:56:55.500 You've seen over the past week, we've seen Victoria police heavy handedly kicking in doors, arresting pregnant women in their homes in an effort to stop this rally from happening today.

00:57:08.500 Police warned that the entrances into the city are going to be blocked, so we're expecting probably a roadblock here.

00:57:15.500 You're going to live it, experience it, I'm going to take you all the way into the city and then to the protest.

00:57:20.500 And we're going to report on what's actually happening there because we know that the mainstream media is not going to give you the truth.

00:57:26.500 Here we go, this is Dictator Dan speaking right now, live on the way.

00:57:30.500 Victorians in hospital, 21 of those are receiving intensive care and 15 of those 21 are on a ventilator.

00:57:37.500 Ballarat has just two active cases.

00:57:39.500 There's two active cases, they arrested her in front of her children and dragged her out of her home in cuffs.

00:57:46.500 For two active cases there's over 100,000 people who live in Ballarat.

00:57:52.500 The chances of her protest causing an outbreak having any sort of risk is near to none.

00:58:02.500 The crazy thing is during Black Lives Matter they allowed those protests to happen where the threat was far more real at the time.

00:58:11.500 Here we go, we've got a roadblock ahead. Apparently COVID compliance checks stands for, there's a euphemism for shutting down free protest.

00:58:24.500 Here we go guys.

00:58:30.500 Three in the car and they're filming is the problem.

00:58:32.500 There you go mate.

00:58:34.500 Not too bad, how are you?

00:58:35.500 Yeah good, there's my work permit.

00:58:37.500 What's your name?

00:58:38.500 Avi, Avi Mini, that's my work permit mate.

00:58:40.500 Where's your last name?

00:58:41.500 Your Mini?

00:58:42.500 Oh okay, no.

00:58:43.500 Internet publishing and broadcasting for news media purposes.

00:58:46.500 No dramas.

00:58:47.500 As per the guidelines.

00:58:48.500 Absolutely, that's fine.

00:58:49.500 We've got three permits if you want.

00:58:51.500 That's fine.

00:58:56.500 They're all from the same house, Iggy?

00:58:57.500 Not from the same house, we've got three separate permits if you need.

00:59:00.500 Yeah but you're travelling inside a car.

00:59:02.500 That's part of the work.

00:59:03.500 Three people.

00:59:04.500 That's the work, the job is the whole journey.

00:59:07.500 So that's part of...

00:59:09.500 Can you describe the work, Kevin?

00:59:11.500 I'm a journalist for Rebel News under the Yemeni report.

00:59:15.500 And this is my sound guy, that's my cameraman.

00:59:18.500 And our job today is to cover what is happening in the CBD and this.

00:59:23.500 So we're going to ask you to part there so we can have a chat.

00:59:26.500 No problems.

00:59:27.500 Thank you.

00:59:30.500 Here we go.

00:59:35.500 I have it on my phone, yes.

00:59:37.500 Now where's your permit?

00:59:38.500 Guys, can you provide the permits?

00:59:41.500 So they're obviously...

00:59:42.500 You're going to need permits.

00:59:43.500 Yeah, they've got the permits.

00:59:44.500 Give me the permits.

00:59:45.500 You can.

00:59:46.500 That's one permit.

00:59:47.500 Where's your work here?

00:59:50.500 Okay, so we're starting at the shrine and then we're following it through to Parliament wherever it's going.

00:59:55.500 That's what it says on the permit as per the regulation.

00:59:58.500 Can I ask you to...

00:59:59.500 Basically, Channel 9, Channel 7, they're all coming here.

01:00:02.500 Are you going to question them the same way?

01:00:05.500 This is what we're doing here.

01:00:06.500 Okay, I'm just asking because you seem to not understand what the media does.

01:00:10.500 This is what we're doing.

01:00:12.500 Okay.

01:00:13.500 Here's the permits.

01:00:14.500 Here's the permits.

01:00:15.500 We are just doing the job.

01:00:16.500 That's fine.

01:00:17.500 That's fine.

01:00:18.500 That's fine.

01:00:19.500 So let me make it clear.

01:00:20.500 We're going to cover the events in the CBD

01:00:22.500 and the roadblocks and everything that was announced.

01:00:25.500 That's why we have three in a car.

01:00:27.500 We have the permits.

01:00:28.500 As per the...

01:00:29.500 Here we go.

01:00:30.500 Thanks, mate.

01:00:31.500 And we...

01:00:32.500 Yep, give me the IDs, boys.

01:00:33.500 You see it?

01:00:34.500 Yeah, mate.

01:00:35.500 I think you know who I am.

01:00:37.500 Yeah, I do.

01:00:38.500 How you doing?

01:00:39.500 You having a good day?

01:00:40.500 Good, mate.

01:00:41.500 Good work.

01:00:42.500 You've got to stay very, very carefully within the guidelines

01:00:47.500 because unlike the mainstream media, I highly doubt they're doing this to the mainstream media.

01:00:51.500 Thank you, sir.

01:00:52.500 Just bear with me.

01:00:53.500 Yeah, no problem.

01:00:54.500 We're bearing right with you.

01:00:55.500 The world is very interested to see what...

01:00:58.500 how they're going to react to media covering what's happening in Victoria.

01:01:04.500 Okay.

01:01:05.500 Thank you very much.

01:01:06.500 We have checked.

01:01:07.500 Thank you very much, sir.

01:01:08.500 Thank you for your service.

01:01:09.500 This is a crucial moment because police pulled us over.

01:01:12.500 They challenged me a little bit.

01:01:13.500 They didn't want me to go in, but I provided all the required legal documentation.

01:01:17.500 And in his words, they checked our credentials and were all right to go.

01:01:22.500 From here, we head straight to the Shrine of Remembrance where the protests were planned to start.

01:01:29.500 I began doing my job just like any of the other journalists there.

01:01:34.500 20 against one.

01:01:35.500 He just said his opinion.

01:01:36.500 And just like the other journalists there, I followed the protesters as they marched for a good couple of hours to Albert Park.

01:01:43.500 Over the next few days, I'll release a lot more of what happened on the march.

01:01:46.500 I mean like the stuff that you won't see in the mainstream media.

01:01:50.500 But this report, I want to focus on how the police behaved as they trapped the protesters by the Albert Park Lake.

01:01:59.500 So there's been numerous, quite intense, heavy-handed arrests here today.

01:02:06.500 We walked around for, there was probably a good two hours where there was no arrest, no anything.

01:02:15.500 It was quite peaceful until...

01:02:17.500 This guy here is not here for any purposes or reasons.

01:02:20.500 He's under arrest.

01:02:22.500 But this guy here is going to be placed under arrest right now.

01:02:26.500 I'm just going to stop here for a second.

01:02:28.500 As you can see, I was just doing my job.

01:02:31.500 There was no one even around me.

01:02:33.500 The bloke marched up to me while I was doing a piece to camera.

01:02:37.500 You can actually hear me laugh because I seriously thought he was joking.

01:02:42.500 If you watched my content before, you'll know that sometimes cops walk up to me and banter a little bit.

01:02:48.500 You know, I guess they like my work or they appreciate it or they find it funny or they see my sense of humour and they join in.

01:02:53.500 But I quickly realised that this power-hungry commander was not bantering.

01:02:58.500 No arrest, no anything.

01:03:00.500 It was quite peaceful until...

01:03:02.500 This guy here is not here for any purposes or reasons.

01:03:05.500 He's under arrest.

01:03:07.500 But this guy here is going to be placed under arrest right now.

01:03:10.500 I'm under arrest.

01:03:11.500 I'm under arrest.

01:03:13.500 I'm under arrest.

01:03:14.500 I am media.

01:03:15.500 I'm media.

01:03:16.500 I'm media.

01:03:18.500 I've got my permit in my pocket.

01:03:21.500 My permit is in my pocket.

01:03:23.500 I'm fine.

01:03:24.500 I'm fine.

01:03:25.500 I've got my permit in my pocket.

01:03:27.500 I work for Rebel News.

01:03:29.500 I am lawfully here.

01:03:31.500 I've got my permit in my pocket.

01:03:34.500 My permit is in my pocket.

01:03:36.500 I'm fine.

01:03:37.500 I'm fine.

01:03:38.500 I've got my permit in my pocket.

01:03:40.500 I work for Rebel News.

01:03:42.500 I am lawfully here.

01:03:46.500 Can you grab that?

01:03:47.500 And that's my mic cover there.

01:03:49.500 And can you give it to my staff?

01:03:51.500 Okay.

01:03:52.500 Bend this one.

01:03:53.500 Bend this one.

01:03:54.500 Bend this one.

01:03:55.500 Can you grab the mic and the mic cover there?

01:04:00.500 At this point police forcibly take me away with my hands still cuffed behind my back like I'm some sort of violent criminal.

01:04:06.500 But what they didn't realise is I was still mic'd up and was recording everything they were about to say.

01:04:12.500 So what did I do exactly?

01:04:14.500 Hinder.

01:04:15.500 Hinder what?

01:04:16.500 How did I hinder?

01:04:17.500 How did I hinder?

01:04:18.500 I've got my permit in my pocket.

01:04:20.500 I got a pass.

01:04:21.500 I was at the roadblock.

01:04:22.500 I got let in properly.

01:04:23.500 I followed all the Chief Health Officer's directions.

01:04:33.500 I had the work permit.

01:04:35.500 And it was checked as I came in here by Victoria Police.

01:04:38.500 So I've got it all on camera.

01:04:40.500 You're here for a hinder.

01:04:42.500 What hinder?

01:04:43.500 What's a hinder?

01:04:44.500 Hinder police.

01:04:45.500 What did I hinder police with?

01:04:47.500 How did I hinder police?

01:04:49.500 How did I hinder police?

01:04:51.500 Is that on?

01:04:53.500 Is that camera on?

01:04:54.500 Yeah it's on.

01:04:55.500 It tends to go missing.

01:04:57.500 So how did I hinder police allegedly?

01:04:59.500 How did I allegedly hinder police?

01:05:02.500 That's what I'd like to know.

01:05:04.500 You've placed me under arrest.

01:05:08.500 You haven't told me how I've hindered police at all.

01:05:12.500 We've told you you're under arrest don't we?

01:05:15.500 Yeah.

01:05:16.500 On what basis?

01:05:17.500 For what?

01:05:19.500 Basically they couldn't get me for breaching any COVID restrictions.

01:05:23.500 So they had to make up a hindering allegation.

01:05:25.500 Only there's one problem which you all witnessed.

01:05:30.500 I was alone with no one around me.

01:05:32.500 I wasn't stopping anyone from doing anything.

01:05:35.500 Let alone hindering police.

01:05:38.500 But the arresting officer then goes off and talks.

01:05:40.500 And left me alone with two other cops holding me still.

01:05:43.500 With my hands tightly cuffed.

01:05:45.500 Because I was some sort of threat.

01:05:47.500 So I thought I might as well chat to them.

01:05:49.500 After all I was there to get some answers.

01:05:51.500 I feel for you.

01:05:52.500 Why didn't you think they did this with Black Lives Matter?

01:05:55.500 Why didn't they?

01:05:56.500 Because it wasn't illegal.

01:05:58.500 It was illegal to protest in Black Lives Matter mate.

01:06:00.500 It wasn't illegal.

01:06:01.500 What?

01:06:02.500 It was.

01:06:03.500 It was on stage three.

01:06:04.500 It was staged.

01:06:05.500 So Ballarat's stage three.

01:06:06.500 Ballarat's the same.

01:06:07.500 Why is Ballarat illegal?

01:06:08.500 Have you got your opinion?

01:06:09.500 I don't have an opinion.

01:06:10.500 I'm asking you facts.

01:06:11.500 I'm having a conversation.

01:06:12.500 You got me here.

01:06:13.500 I agree.

01:06:14.500 I feel for you bro.

01:06:15.500 I feel for you.

01:06:16.500 I feel for you.

01:06:17.500 I feel that you have to.

01:06:18.500 I feel for you that you have to do this.

01:06:19.500 I just want to understand why there's such a heavy handed response.

01:06:22.500 To a protest that I'm not even a part of.

01:06:24.500 I don't actually agree with half these guys.

01:06:26.500 But the fact that you're going in like this.

01:06:28.500 Arresting journalists.

01:06:30.500 Because why?

01:06:31.500 Because it's stage four.

01:06:32.500 But Ballarat's stage three.

01:06:34.500 Police.

01:06:35.500 You've seen that footage.

01:06:37.500 You're not Daniel Andrews.

01:06:38.500 You're not going to deny that one.

01:06:40.500 To be honest.

01:06:41.500 I don't really care.

01:06:42.500 And right there is the problem.

01:06:44.500 The government has given these unprecedented powers.

01:06:47.500 To a pack of power hungry people.

01:06:50.500 Who don't actually care.

01:06:52.500 Then suddenly I noticed.

01:06:54.500 When we were standing there.

01:06:55.500 A police officer from the police media unit.

01:06:59.500 Walking by.

01:07:00.500 Police media unit.

01:07:02.500 How do you feel about them arresting somebody.

01:07:05.500 A journalist.

01:07:06.500 I'm here as a journalist.

01:07:08.500 I have the passes.

01:07:10.500 I have the.

01:07:11.500 They've got all my things there.

01:07:12.500 They.

01:07:13.500 They.

01:07:14.500 They've just arrested me out of nowhere.

01:07:15.500 What's your name mate?

01:07:16.500 Avraham Yamini.

01:07:17.500 And.

01:07:18.500 I work for Rebel News.

01:07:19.500 Have you worked with me?

01:07:20.500 Avraham Yamini.

01:07:21.500 I've got my permit on me.

01:07:22.500 They've got it there.

01:07:23.500 They've arrested me for.

01:07:24.500 They now change it to hindering.

01:07:25.500 Okay.

01:07:26.500 I don't understand.

01:07:27.500 How they're.

01:07:28.500 In Victoria.

01:07:29.500 In Melbourne.

01:07:30.500 They're.

01:07:31.500 They've placed a journalist.

01:07:32.500 Under.

01:07:33.500 Arrest.

01:07:34.500 Yeah.

01:07:37.500 And a few minutes later.

01:07:39.500 The arresting officer returns.

01:07:41.500 Uh.

01:07:42.500 So I'm just going to.

01:07:43.500 Give you a caution.

01:07:44.500 Alright.

01:07:45.500 Before we see you.

01:07:46.500 You don't have to say or do anything.

01:07:47.500 Anything you say or do.

01:07:48.500 Maybe give me any evidence.

01:07:49.500 Do you understand that?

01:07:50.500 I do.

01:07:51.500 Alright.

01:07:52.500 Um.

01:07:53.500 The hinder.

01:07:54.500 You're between our police lines.

01:07:55.500 We've got two police lines.

01:07:57.500 You're in between.

01:07:58.500 Our four commanders asked you to move.

01:08:00.500 And you've got in his way.

01:08:02.500 When did he ask me to move?

01:08:04.500 The world is my witness.

01:08:05.500 You've all seen the footage.

01:08:07.500 He barges in as I'm doing a piece to camera.

01:08:09.500 Pointing.

01:08:10.500 Going.

01:08:11.500 This bloke is not here for purposeful reasons.

01:08:13.500 Put him under arrest.

01:08:14.500 Did anyone hear?

01:08:16.500 One time him asking me to move.

01:08:18.500 I would have complied.

01:08:19.500 I wasn't there to be in their way.

01:08:21.500 I was there to report what was happening on the ground.

01:08:24.500 It was obvious.

01:08:26.500 He didn't like me.

01:08:27.500 He knows me.

01:08:28.500 He recognizes me.

01:08:29.500 He doesn't like the fact that I'm holding them accountable.

01:08:32.500 But don't take my word for it.

01:08:34.500 Let's watch it again.

01:08:35.500 Numerous.

01:08:36.500 Quite intense.

01:08:37.500 Heavy handed.

01:08:38.500 Arrests here today.

01:08:40.500 Um.

01:08:41.500 We walked around for.

01:08:44.500 There was probably a good.

01:08:45.500 Uh.

01:08:46.500 Two hours.

01:08:47.500 Where there was no arrest.

01:08:48.500 No anything.

01:08:49.500 It was quite peaceful.

01:08:50.500 Until.

01:08:51.500 It's like you.

01:08:52.500 It's not here for any purposes reasons.

01:08:54.500 Andy.

01:08:55.500 Let's go to arrest.

01:08:56.500 All the journalists were there.

01:08:58.500 I was where.

01:08:59.500 All the journalists were.

01:09:00.500 What's your reason for hindering police?

01:09:01.500 I.

01:09:02.500 No comment.

01:09:03.500 Please call my lawyer.

01:09:04.500 I've got my lawyer in my pocket.

01:09:05.500 So now what's going to happen now?

01:09:06.500 You're getting released with inquiries pending.

01:09:09.500 So I'm getting released with a pending inquiry.

01:09:11.500 Yeah.

01:09:12.500 And then.

01:09:13.500 But I'm going to give you a direction to move on alright.

01:09:15.500 So you're not allowed in the Albert Park precinct.

01:09:17.500 For the next 24 hours.

01:09:18.500 Excuse me media.

01:09:19.500 Police media unit.

01:09:20.500 Excuse me.

01:09:21.500 Do you understand that?

01:09:22.500 No no.

01:09:23.500 One second.

01:09:24.500 Police media unit.

01:09:25.500 I'm getting a direction as a journalist to move on.

01:09:28.500 Yes.

01:09:29.500 From an event of public interest.

01:09:30.500 Is that okay?

01:09:31.500 Are you okay as the police media unit with this direction?

01:09:34.500 Can I jump in?

01:09:35.500 Can I jump in?

01:09:36.500 So you need to listen to the police.

01:09:37.500 So are you okay with that?

01:09:38.500 And then after you've been released, after your arrest, I'll have a chat.

01:09:41.500 Okay.

01:09:42.500 Does that make sense?

01:09:43.500 Yep.

01:09:44.500 No one.

01:09:45.500 I understand.

01:09:46.500 Yep.

01:09:47.500 Do you understand that 24 hours and you understand the area?

01:09:48.500 Yep.

01:09:49.500 It'll be a continuation.

01:09:50.500 Well I'm having a conversation with them.

01:09:51.500 You may get a ticket.

01:09:52.500 Yeah.

01:09:53.500 Or you may get arrested again.

01:09:54.500 Yep.

01:09:55.500 Alright.

01:09:56.500 So just to quickly unpack that.

01:09:58.500 They allege I was hindering police which I can easily prove I wasn't.

01:10:02.500 And they're using that as a basis of their move on order.

01:10:06.500 Which means I haven't committed any crime yet.

01:10:09.500 That's why they're releasing me.

01:10:11.500 But now they've issued me with this move on order on a false pretense.

01:10:17.500 Now if I disobey that order, I'm committing a crime.

01:10:22.500 Do you see how that works?

01:10:23.500 In summary, they want to remove a journalist who is critical of the state issuing unchecked

01:10:29.500 powers to police.

01:10:31.500 And this is their tactic to do so.

01:10:33.500 Go straight to the media person.

01:10:35.500 Yeah I am.

01:10:36.500 I've got to find my staff.

01:10:37.500 Go straight to the media person if you don't go there.

01:10:39.500 I am going there mate.

01:10:40.500 Don't threaten me.

01:10:41.500 Don't threaten me.

01:10:42.500 Don't threaten me.

01:10:43.500 I'm not worried.

01:10:44.500 You are threatening me.

01:10:45.500 I'm making it very clear.

01:10:47.500 I'm making it very clear so you don't get.

01:10:49.500 I'm not worried.

01:10:50.500 I ain't worried about it.

01:10:52.500 Mate you just need to do what you've been told.

01:10:54.500 So if they tell you you're in the way they're trying to do their job.

01:10:58.500 I was never told that at first.

01:10:59.500 Alright it doesn't matter.

01:11:00.500 My point is, my one question that I have for you is as the media unit, the police media

01:11:04.500 unit, do you think it's okay in Victoria that a journalist was arrested?

01:11:09.500 I let go straight away.

01:11:10.500 I had all the permits.

01:11:11.500 I told them I had the permits.

01:11:12.500 I was arrested and then given a move on direction from an event of obvious public interest.

01:11:17.500 Is that okay?

01:11:18.500 Are you cool?

01:11:19.500 Do you know what I told you before?

01:11:20.500 You need to do what you're being told by the police.

01:11:22.500 Okay and what legislation did I breach the...

01:11:24.500 With the police and if you've got a complaint to make you need to go through the complaints

01:11:28.500 system okay?

01:11:29.500 So that's...

01:11:30.500 What's your name?

01:11:31.500 Anita Brins.

01:11:32.500 Anita Brins.

01:11:33.500 Yeah I'm one of the sergeants at the media unit.

01:11:35.500 I'm happy to chat to you further about it but just not at the moment.

01:11:38.500 Okay?

01:11:39.500 You've got to do what they say.

01:11:40.500 No, we're in a country where there's freedom of press.

01:11:44.500 There's freedom of press and you should hold that dear.

01:11:46.500 Now as a journalist I was arrested in front of everyone.

01:11:48.500 I've got all the footage.

01:11:49.500 I was arrested, thrown to the ground with my permit in my pocket.

01:11:53.500 I showed the police before coming in here and then I was given a move on order as a journalist.

01:11:57.500 This is 2020 in Victoria.

01:12:00.500 This is not supposed to be a police day.

01:12:02.500 How convenient for the police, eh?

01:12:04.500 Leave now.

01:12:05.500 Comply.

01:12:06.500 Complain later.

01:12:07.500 Who should I complain to exactly?

01:12:08.500 The police so they can do some sort of internal review.

01:12:12.500 I'm good.

01:12:13.500 We're going to go above the police.

01:12:15.500 That's why I need you to sign and share the petition at StandWithAvi.com.

01:12:20.500 But my day didn't end there at the protest.

01:12:22.500 I head towards my camera guys who were waiting for me so we could leave together as we did.

01:12:26.500 We came together.

01:12:27.500 When I noticed that they were standing where a couple of journalists who had actually seen me under arrest.

01:12:32.500 And I thought I'd take the opportunity to ask them how they felt about my treatment.

01:12:36.500 There was some young Channel 9 journalist.

01:12:39.500 I don't really know him.

01:12:40.500 And there was a guy called Paul Dowsley who has more than 25 years under his belt with Channel 7 News.

01:12:47.500 I just happened to be standing exactly where my camera guys were waiting for me.

01:12:51.500 You got that caution there yeah?

01:12:53.500 You got that caution.

01:12:54.500 See I didn't get that caution and they threw me onto the ground.

01:12:56.500 Can you put your mask out for us please?

01:12:58.500 You alright?

01:12:59.500 Do you think it's cool that they're throwing journalists down on the ground?

01:13:02.500 I didn't see what led to your caution.

01:13:07.500 You got moved on correct?

01:13:08.500 Yes.

01:13:09.500 I saw that when I was arrested.

01:13:10.500 What was that move on for?

01:13:11.500 Just because we're in a police safe zone.

01:13:13.500 Okay.

01:13:14.500 So they claim that I breached that and then the footage is hectic of throwing me onto the ground based on that.

01:13:22.500 Have you ever seen that in Victoria?

01:13:23.500 Sir can you please put your mask on while you're near me?

01:13:25.500 You're allowed to as a journalist.

01:13:27.500 I feel unsafe at all of that.

01:13:28.500 Can you put your mask on please?

01:13:29.500 Are you allowed to film as a journalist without your mask on?

01:13:32.500 Yes?

01:13:33.500 Only when socially distanced.

01:13:34.500 Socially distanced.

01:13:35.500 When socially distanced.

01:13:36.500 Okay.

01:13:37.500 So can I ask you I'm about to go.

01:13:38.500 I'm moving on.

01:13:39.500 Sir you're not 1.5 from me.

01:13:40.500 Can you stop that please?

01:13:41.500 They've got their face masks on.

01:13:42.500 Okay.

01:13:43.500 So I'm just asking a question.

01:13:44.500 When they interview they don't have their face masks on.

01:13:46.500 I'm just asking you.

01:13:47.500 Have you ever seen in Victoria a journalist thrown to the ground doing his job obviously covering

01:13:53.500 an event of public interest?

01:13:55.500 Is it?

01:13:56.500 This is public interest yes?

01:13:57.500 Have you ever seen that in Victoria as a journalist?

01:14:00.500 I also did not see you get thrown.

01:14:02.500 The footage is going on.

01:14:03.500 I've got the footage.

01:14:04.500 Let's say it's true.

01:14:05.500 Have you ever seen that?

01:14:06.500 Yes or no?

01:14:07.500 I don't want to comment on something I haven't seen sir.

01:14:08.500 Okay mate.

01:14:09.500 Now you've seen it.

01:14:10.500 Can you comment?

01:14:11.500 I'm not holding my breath.

01:14:12.500 I offered to take a shot to him around the corner but he didn't want to come.

01:14:16.500 But a junior journalist pretending he didn't see what happened or even the cops abusing their power again didn't bother me that much.

01:14:23.500 It was to be expected.

01:14:25.500 What bothered me was the fact that a very experienced journalist didn't seem interested at all.

01:14:32.500 Are you cool with that?

01:14:35.500 Can I do a fix?

01:14:36.500 No, I've got to walk.

01:14:37.500 Arresting a fellow journalist is kind of a big story.

01:14:40.500 It's huge.

01:14:41.500 It's what they do in communist China.

01:14:44.500 What I didn't realize is until I was reviewing the footage is that my cameraman just happened to capture the journalist talking between themselves before I got there.

01:14:54.500 Have a listen to what Paul Dowsley was saying off camera.

01:14:59.500 I almost just got arrested.

01:15:01.500 Same here.

01:15:02.500 I threatened me with arrest.

01:15:03.500 Fuck dickheads.

01:15:04.500 You just want to shut up.

01:15:05.500 For being in a park.

01:15:06.500 Yeah.

01:15:07.500 He was like, you're in a place that's my mic.

01:15:08.500 What is it for?

01:15:09.500 Your officer over there, he told me to go stand next to the police meeting.

01:15:11.500 You're not listening to me.

01:15:12.500 Yeah.

01:15:13.500 And that's the thing.

01:15:14.500 I don't listen to you.

01:15:15.500 I'm like.

01:15:20.500 Consistency.

01:15:21.500 That's what you're hoping.

01:15:23.500 A clear, consistent message.

01:15:26.500 He's not arresting everyone.

01:15:27.500 Yeah.

01:15:28.500 He's just saying hi.

01:15:29.500 No, we've got a job.

01:15:31.500 No, I'm talking about to the media.

01:15:33.500 Paul Dowsley doesn't mince his words when it comes to describing the police there on that day.

01:15:38.500 Fucking mean with arrest.

01:15:40.500 Fuck dickheads.

01:15:41.500 Fuck dickheads.

01:15:42.500 Fuck dickheads.

01:15:43.500 Now, it's clear that Paul knew exactly what happened to me and that police in general were out of control at the protest on the weekend.

01:15:51.500 But guess what?

01:15:53.500 The seasoned journalist didn't feel the need to tell the truth in his report on 7 News that night.

01:15:59.500 This is exactly why no one can trust the mainstream media.

01:16:04.500 Because when they think there's no camera, they tell a completely different story.

01:16:10.500 Fucking mean with arrest.

01:16:11.500 Fuck dickheads.

01:16:12.500 Fuck dickheads.

01:16:13.500 Fuck dickheads.

01:16:14.500 Fuck dickheads.

01:16:15.500 But I guess I can't go too hard on Paul.

01:16:17.500 Because, after all, who wants to pay the price of holding the state accountable?

01:16:23.500 That night, after not being charged with any crime.

01:16:27.500 Not even being fined.

01:16:29.500 I got a visit in a clear attempt of intimidation.

01:16:32.500 I wasn't involved in protest.

01:16:33.500 Okay.

01:16:34.500 What were your names?

01:16:35.500 I wasn't...

01:16:36.500 No, no.

01:16:37.500 You were there, though.

01:16:38.500 So let's not dispute that.

01:16:39.500 You were there.

01:16:40.500 Are you going to Channel 9 tonight?

01:16:41.500 Are you going to Channel 9's house?

01:16:42.500 Are you going to the journalist on Channel 7, Channel 9?

01:16:44.500 Are you going to their house tonight to compliance check?

01:16:46.500 If their name's on our list because they were processed for hindering, then yes, we will there.

01:16:53.500 So I was there as media.

01:16:56.500 Okay.

01:16:57.500 Okay.

01:16:58.500 And the world's seen exactly like the first 10 seconds of the arrest.

01:17:01.500 Yeah.

01:17:02.500 Which is not the whole video.

01:17:03.500 I've got everything from the moment that you guys let me into the rally, checked all my paperwork, and then arrested me.

01:17:09.500 I've never been...

01:17:10.500 No.

01:17:11.500 I was never asked.

01:17:12.500 I was never asked to move on.

01:17:13.500 Nothing like that.

01:17:14.500 That is a lie.

01:17:15.500 Okay.

01:17:16.500 Well, I'm not here to dispute that.

01:17:17.500 Your name's...

01:17:18.500 So I've never not complied.

01:17:19.500 You're coming to my house with my kids in the middle of the night when I have never

01:17:23.500 not complied.

01:17:24.500 I'm like every other journalist here.

01:17:26.500 Don't come to my house.

01:17:27.500 Okay.

01:17:28.500 Your name's on our list because there's...

01:17:29.500 What's your name?

01:17:30.500 I'm Senior Constable Barrett.

01:17:31.500 Barrett.

01:17:32.500 I'm from Frankston Police.

01:17:33.500 Frankston.

01:17:34.500 Yeah.

01:17:35.500 So you can take me off your list because you're not welcome at my house to do a compliance

01:17:38.500 check to journalists who...

01:17:40.500 If we've got information that suggests that you're acting improperly then...

01:17:44.500 Show me one place where I've acted.

01:17:46.500 I report.

01:17:47.500 I'm a commentator.

01:17:48.500 I'm in the media.

01:17:49.500 Don't come to my house here.

01:17:51.500 We'll see you tomorrow.

01:17:52.500 You're on a list.

01:17:53.500 We'll see you tomorrow.

01:17:55.500 Police have crossed the line and I need your help to fight back.

01:17:58.500 So please, again, sign and share the petition at StandWithAvi.com because together we can

01:18:05.500 win.

01:18:06.500 I don't need Paul Dowsley or any other fake news journalists.

01:18:09.500 I need you to stand with me and to share the truth.

01:18:24.500 Well, that's our show for today.

01:18:25.500 Thanks so much for watching.

01:18:26.500 Until next time, on behalf of all of us here at Rebel World Headquarters, good night.

01:18:30.500 Keep fighting for freedom.

01:18:31.500 Keep fighting for freedom.

01:18:32.500 Thank you.

01:18:33.500 Thank you.

01:18:34.500 Thank you.

01:18:35.500 Thank you.

Rebel News Podcast - December 30, 2020

Best of 2020： Rebels Arrested

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