Rebel News Podcast - DAVID MENZIES ｜ Aussie Law Enforcement, Ontario Cops Target High Schooler

00:00:00.000 Hello, Rebels. You're listening to a free audio-only recording of my show, Rebel Roundup.

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00:01:14.340 Welcome to Rebel Roundup, ladies and gentlemen, and the rest of you,

00:01:32.780 in which we look back at some of the very best commentaries of the week by your favourite rebels.

00:01:38.160 I'm your host, David Menzies.

00:01:39.880 In Australia, all media outlets are equal, except some are more equal than others,

00:01:46.240 which is to say, if you are a member of the mainstream media, the police will take a hands-off approach.

00:01:52.500 But if you are a rebel news reporter endeavouring to bring the other side of the story to viewers,

00:01:58.780 well, you may as well be wearing a jacket with a bullseye painted on the back.

00:02:03.180 Just ask Avi Amini.

00:02:05.900 He joins me with yet another unbelievable encounter with Aussie law enforcement trying to shut him down.

00:02:14.100 Say, the crime rate in Little Bayside, Ontario must be, well, zero these days.

00:02:19.980 You see, recently, a grade 12 girl walked around her school with a sign,

00:02:24.480 imploring the authorities to let the kids get back into class.

00:02:29.560 And guess what happened next?

00:02:30.980 Six, yes, six OPP police cruisers converged at the school,

00:02:37.600 apparently deeming this gal to be the second coming of Typhoid Mary. 0.92

00:02:42.320 Catherine Krasinowski has all the unbelievable details. 0.65

00:02:47.120 And letters, we get your letters, we get them every minute of every day.

00:02:50.460 And you had plenty to say about Ontario Premier Doug Ford's brand new, whiz-bang, 11-year-old friend, Arthur.

00:02:57.200 Or just one hitch, does little Arthur actually exist?

00:03:02.720 Alas, the vast majority of you believe Arthur is about as real as the Easter Bunny.

00:03:08.680 Sad to see how Doug Ford's credibility is just taking a nosedive these days, eh?

00:03:14.840 Those are your rebels.

00:03:16.100 Now let's round them up.

00:03:17.280 On Friday night at about 8.30pm, police visited my home to hand deliver a letter from the assistant commissioner

00:03:30.180 warning me not to attend any lockdown protests the following day.

00:03:34.800 On your list tonight is Channel 7, 9 or 10?

00:03:37.780 I haven't gone through the entire list, mate.

00:03:39.520 Do you mind looking at the list and letting us know?

00:03:41.980 I think the public would like to know if you're going to Channel 9 and 10.

00:03:49.380 Be careful, mate.

00:03:49.740 Yeah.

00:03:50.500 Shame on you.

00:03:52.240 Trying to intimidate journalists.

00:03:53.540 Obviously, I didn't comply and you can see my reports from that day so far at rebelnews.com.au

00:03:59.720 and make sure to sign up to yaminireport.com so I can send you the remaining reports over the next few days directly.

00:04:08.000 But while I was out doing my job, I thought I'd take the opportunity to ask mainstream media journalists there

00:04:14.620 if they'd received the same visit.

00:04:17.140 Watch and share what happened.

00:04:18.180 Hey, Dawn.

00:04:18.660 I'm part of the communications team just letting you know this is private property

00:04:23.580 and the filming zone is on...

00:04:25.980 Where's all the media here at the moment?

00:04:27.480 The pebble wall.

00:04:29.040 Alright, we'll go to that side.

00:04:30.580 Yeah.

00:04:30.980 Alright, thank you.

00:04:32.960 What's going on, guys?

00:04:34.880 You're not allowed to film here, they told us.

00:04:37.160 Can I ask you, did Vic Pol visit you last night and warn you not to come here?

00:04:43.080 I'm not saying anything, no.

00:04:44.880 Did you get...

00:04:45.520 I just had a simple question.

00:04:46.380 Did they come to your house and warn you not to come?

00:04:49.500 No?

00:04:50.600 Why do you think that is?

00:04:51.980 Why do you think they come to me and not to you?

00:04:56.100 Channel 9?

00:04:56.540 I don't know, host, you might be good.

00:04:57.820 I'm not saying there's anything bad.

00:04:58.880 But that's the point.

00:04:59.760 I just want to double check if they went to the mainstream media.

00:05:02.260 But there's a reason.

00:05:03.660 They obviously tow the government's line.

00:05:06.200 They don't tell the other side of the story.

00:05:08.700 She didn't get a visit last night from Victoria Police.

00:05:11.500 I did.

00:05:13.940 It's interesting, though, that they came to my house and not yours.

00:05:16.360 Yeah.

00:05:17.440 Yeah.

00:05:17.800 Why?

00:05:18.920 Why?

00:05:19.540 Is my reporting so much more offensive than hers?

00:05:22.880 No.

00:05:23.620 No.

00:05:24.540 It's the same.

00:05:25.380 It's the same?

00:05:26.000 No, don't.

00:05:26.720 That's offensive.

00:05:27.660 I do not work for SBS.

00:05:30.060 I distanced myself from them.

00:05:31.760 But there was at least one commentator on a semi-mainstream network who, in my humble opinion, got it absolutely right.

00:05:40.140 Avi Yemeni is a passionate young journalist for the YouTube Rebel News.

00:05:45.440 He's been on Outsiders in the past.

00:05:47.780 Avi has covered the overreach of the police, of the Victorian police, through all of Victoria's lockdowns.

00:05:53.840 And I would argue that he not only has the right, but the professional duty to cover yesterday's demonstration.

00:06:01.880 Now, Avi is a great journalist, a passionate free speech advocate, and let's be frank, he's a great showman as well.

00:06:08.260 But he knows his rights, and he's not afraid to stand up to the excessive use of police authority.

00:06:14.420 Safety officer, how are we doing today?

00:06:15.980 Avi Harvey.

00:06:16.700 We good?

00:06:17.140 We well.

00:06:17.900 This is a bit of a fizzle.

00:06:23.280 I think we're going to have to get you to protest just to give us some action.

00:06:26.320 So what have we learned here today is that Victoria police target specific journalists to intimidate.

00:06:33.700 But at the end of the day, when you stand up, they don't follow through.

00:06:37.820 I wasn't scared.

00:06:38.900 I knew I had the law, the actual law on my side.

00:06:41.500 And not one police officer tried to stop me here today.

00:06:46.940 But they did, last night, in the middle of the night, come to my house to issue me a warning from the commissioner.

00:06:52.860 A warning that no other journalist here received.

00:06:57.660 Welcome to the land of Oz, where all media outlets are equal, except some media outlets are more equal than others.

00:07:05.660 Which is to say, if you are the mainstream media down under, the police will take a hands-off approach.

00:07:13.020 But if you are a rebel news reporter endeavoring to bring the other side of the story to viewers,

00:07:18.520 well, you may as well be wearing a jacket with a bullseye painted on the back.

00:07:23.360 Unbelievable. 0.85

00:07:24.740 And with more on this heaping helping of hypocrisy is our man in Melbourne, Avi Yamini.

00:07:30.880 Welcome to Rebel Roundup, Avi.

00:07:33.540 G'day. 0.97

00:07:34.160 How you going, mate?

00:07:34.840 It's always a pleasure.

00:07:36.700 And, Avi, I've got to tell you, you've been knocking it out of the park with your videos lately.

00:07:40.820 But, Avi, what we saw there, in terms of what happened to you, I think was beyond egregious.

00:07:47.200 Police officers going to your residence late at night, essentially stating you are not allowed to practice journalism.

00:07:55.960 Avi, who is behind this outrageous display of fear and intimidation tactics against you?

00:08:04.840 Well, I just think you can't help but think that the government is using the police here as their own kind of intimidation squad to silence anybody that's questioning their behavior and what they're doing here at the moment and their response to the coronavirus.

00:08:23.760 So, I think it's command, but at the same time, I think there's a lot of police officers who don't want to be engaging in that sort of behavior.

00:08:32.720 You know, I hope you're right about that, Avi.

00:08:35.400 But the way I see it is that when you see journalists, you specifically, you know, focused on and told not to practice journalism, I mean, for goodness sakes, you're a journalist.

00:08:49.740 That's your livelihood.

00:08:51.720 To me, this is about an abuse of the process.

00:08:55.400 It's about abuse of authority.

00:08:57.200 It's banana republic tactics.

00:08:59.440 It's being politically motivated.

00:09:01.480 It's not due to any laws being broken.

00:09:04.020 It's not due to safety regulations.

00:09:06.400 And I'm sorry, Avi, for a Western democracy like Australia.

00:09:09.940 This is just wrong.

00:09:11.920 Yeah, I agree with you.

00:09:14.060 And I think it was evident.

00:09:15.760 You watch that video when they came to my eyes.

00:09:17.360 You see the way that the police officers sped off in that car at the end.

00:09:22.020 They knew what they were doing was wrong.

00:09:24.420 I don't know if, because it seems like they had a list in that night.

00:09:28.400 They did attend numerous, a lot of residents.

00:09:33.140 There was another journalist who's an independent journalist who also received that visit.

00:09:38.360 But we were the only two journalists, no journalists from the mainstream media.

00:09:42.480 I specifically went and walked up to them and asked them the following day when I did attend the event I was warned not to go to.

00:09:52.460 And police did nothing.

00:09:54.120 They didn't follow through.

00:09:54.840 But at the time when they were here, I'm not sure if they were just looking at the list and going, oh, this is the next address.

00:10:02.680 And then they opened the door and they go, oh, crap, this is where we're at again.

00:10:06.560 Or they knew what they were doing. 0.96

00:10:08.920 Either way, it is absolutely wrong.

00:10:12.400 No media, it doesn't matter, left wing, right wing, it doesn't matter what you are.

00:10:17.200 If you're a journalist, if you're going to any of these sorts of events to cover them in the capacity of a journalist,

00:10:22.200 they don't have to like your coverage, but they have to uphold your right to do it.

00:10:29.580 Yeah.

00:10:29.780 And, you know, what's different about Australia?

00:10:33.440 I mean, it's unheard of in North America.

00:10:35.140 It's this idea of getting permits to go as a journalist to cover an event.

00:10:39.420 And you jumped through all those hoops.

00:10:42.420 I remember months ago you got a permit to go to a protest and you were actually gang tackled by police.

00:10:49.280 And there was there was no reason for that.

00:10:51.480 And, you know, Avi, can you take our viewers through this of what what is the ostensible reason for this in this level of control that journalists have to reach out to the state and actually get a permit to report?

00:11:07.440 Well, there really isn't.

00:11:10.120 That's the thing.

00:11:10.920 And that's why we are in the Supreme Court here.

00:11:13.100 We've got a big case with numerous different events that happen, including the one that you're talking about.

00:11:21.620 But it shouldn't be like that.

00:11:22.960 There is no laws.

00:11:24.120 You know, in all this period, what is the last year and a half where I've either been arrested or intimidated or taken to the ground, you know, we've got at least six different incidents which are in front of the Supreme Court.

00:11:38.620 Well, it's important to note that not once have I been charged, not even not even ticketed as some of the journalists in in Canada.

00:11:48.620 Like they have they haven't even had the evidence to be able to justify giving me a covid fine, let alone tackling me to the ground.

00:11:58.080 So it is very much intimidation.

00:12:00.480 And when when those things happen, you know, when they come and visit your house, I think you would know because it's happened to you.

00:12:07.020 It gets your adrenaline up and you're like, you know, you're at home just watching Netflix or whatever at night relaxing.

00:12:15.480 And when that happens and straight away, my inbox is flooded with people going, oh, you're right.

00:12:21.100 I can't believe it.

00:12:21.820 You know, I would be freaking out if they came to my house.

00:12:24.460 It's become sort of something of a second nature to me.

00:12:27.480 I'm getting used to it, to controlling that adrenaline when they do show up.

00:12:30.640 But people realize that there's something very wrong when somebody who's committed no crimes being given no never been charged with anything and not even ticketed for these kinds of offenses.

00:12:44.340 But still, police feel like they have the right to come to his house to scare him out of telling the other side of the story, the side of the story that they don't want to they don't want anyone to hear.

00:12:57.600 Because it's interesting if you watch some of the the broadcast, especially if you're in Australia, people have noticed if you watch the events that we cover and you watch it from the mainstream media.

00:13:08.540 And I'll give you an example. The other day, there was a protest, a business protest in the city where a woman was, you know, a small business owner was pleading with police and it was very raw.

00:13:23.000 It was heartfelt. You could you could feel what she was saying.

00:13:27.460 And the mainstream media ran that. But then they suddenly cut it and they were they were sympathetic to her.

00:13:35.380 And they, you know, they they recognized that what she was saying was powerful and it was a powerful image of her, you know, calling out to the police.

00:13:43.980 But they cut it right at the point where police engage her. 1.00

00:13:50.800 It just as 10 officers just ran into her and took her down. 0.99

00:13:57.140 Why do they do that? That that's called, I think, in this business, Abby, burying the lead, isn't it?

00:14:02.500 Absolutely. And, you know, it just didn't suit the narrative.

00:14:06.720 And that is and that was the day that I was, you know, not allowed to be there to report.

00:14:11.460 And if I hadn't been there, if I hadn't have gone that day and if I would have complied with the with their intimidation tactic, which is all it was, they were trying to intimidate me.

00:14:24.020 They didn't actually have the law on their side.

00:14:25.680 Remember, they came to deliver a a letter from the commissioner.

00:14:30.640 You know, you know, they said they're not here to charge me.

00:14:33.500 They're not. It's just a letter.

00:14:35.220 Read the letter yourself.

00:14:36.440 And the letter is basically telling you do not go to the event if I hadn't have gone there.

00:14:41.980 Well, nobody would have really seen the end of that story.

00:14:45.280 Nobody would have seen, you know, the story of the father with his child in the car just eating breakfast and being surrounded by police.

00:14:54.540 Nobody would have seen these stories.

00:14:56.880 Nobody would have seen the other side of what happened that day.

00:14:59.720 They would have just seen they would have just seen what the what the media portrayed as in a couple of antagonistic protesters antagonizing the police and being arrested.

00:15:15.220 And, you know, they did include a couple of small business people having a couple of sentences, soundbites that made a little bit of sense that you could be sympathetic to.

00:15:26.380 But now, maybe not, because look at them.

00:15:28.860 They're next to these antagonizers. 0.82

00:15:31.360 That's the way they portrayed it when it absolutely was not that.

00:15:37.000 I think you're right, Avi, to bring this full circle.

00:15:39.380 That is why you've got a target on your back.

00:15:41.780 You are bringing the other side of the story.

00:15:43.980 You're not cutting when the story begins.

00:15:46.780 You're actually showing it warts and all to the shame of the police there.

00:15:51.800 And, you know, as our boss likes to say about the mainstream media, folks, the watchdogs have become lapdogs.

00:16:00.440 They they are not muckrakers.

00:16:02.700 And you, my friend, are untameable.

00:16:04.520 One last question.

00:16:05.700 I'm sure you're getting to know a lot of these police officers by their first name, Avi.

00:16:09.760 And I just want to know this.

00:16:12.280 What do you think the split is in terms of those officers in Australia that are saying, you know what, mate?

00:16:20.740 I didn't sign up for this.

00:16:22.500 I never signed up to trample law-abiding citizens just making a democratic protest versus those officers who have bought into the idea of, you know what?

00:16:35.000 This is for the health and well-being of our citizens.

00:16:38.540 And these people have to be charged and ticketed and arrested.

00:16:42.160 What is the split out there, Avi?

00:16:44.440 I don't necessarily think they even think that deeply about it.

00:16:48.100 But I don't think many of I think very, a very small amount go, oh, we're doing this for health and safety.

00:16:53.860 I think there's a big proportion that are saying, well, these are my orders and this is my job.

00:17:00.600 And the reason why I know that is because many of those that are enforcing it so strictly are walking around with a mask under their mouth or nose.

00:17:08.420 So they're obviously not that and they're up in your face. 0.87

00:17:10.940 So they're obviously not that scared of this virus, especially where some of the enforcement is so hypocritical.

00:17:18.360 You know, they're bussing police officers from hundreds of kilometers away when citizens in the city weren't allowed to travel more than five kilometers alone.

00:17:32.740 So I think that there's not many that feel like they're enforcing it for the for the health side of it.

00:17:40.140 There's a lot that are there are too many enforcing it because it's what they've been ordered.

00:17:46.460 Anecdotally, I think it's hard to say numbers.

00:17:50.700 If I had to guess, well, 100 percent of command are doing it for the power trip.

00:17:55.340 The orders are absolutely the police institution loving their new powers.

00:18:03.540 But there are a lot of cops.

00:18:05.920 You know, when I walk to these events, you say you joke that I know them.

00:18:09.280 I know their first names.

00:18:10.520 I don't actually know any of their first names, really, but they all know mine.

00:18:14.580 And I get I get a lot of you.

00:18:16.700 I have you just stand back up.

00:18:18.240 You know, a lot of trying to work with me in the moment on the ground these days, especially.

00:18:25.340 Sometimes by cops that I'm a little bit surprised because I've it's some of those cops that I feel are overreaching and overstepping.

00:18:33.340 I see them trying to work with me.

00:18:35.740 I guess it's probably a situation of not wanting to be featured on any rebel news stories as as as one of those aggressors.

00:18:46.160 But something else you said a minute ago that the the media become the watchdog instead of the watchdogs, the lapdogs.

00:18:54.040 And you're absolutely right, because at that same event, instead of instead of capturing what happened, for example, that outrageous scene we saw where a father and the nicer and I think everyone needs to watch that video.

00:19:09.180 Because I think it it demonstrates everything that's wrong with the enforcement at the moment.

00:19:15.060 But instead of the mainstream media who were there at the time, instead of them capturing what happened, taking it, following that story that was unfolding in front of everyone's eyes.

00:19:30.100 That's how I got it, because I was there to capture the same event that I was not allowed to go to, that they were at.

00:19:36.260 But they were too busy reporting on the fact that I was disobeying these unlawful directions by the commissioner, that they missed the actual story unfolding in front of our eyes.

00:19:46.820 That was actually outrageous.

00:19:48.460 Unbelievable.

00:19:49.740 That's where we're at.

00:19:51.260 Oh, well, well, I guess.

00:19:53.040 And I would urge our viewers to watch that story of that father and son in the SUV getting arrested for God knows what.

00:20:01.900 It was outrageous.

00:20:03.680 I mean, like I said, you're hitting it out of the ballpark.

00:20:06.220 That's a baseball reference.

00:20:08.000 I would make a cricket reference if I understood the rules of cricket.

00:20:11.260 But you know what I'm trying to say.

00:20:12.900 You're doing a great job there.

00:20:14.120 And thank you so much for joining me again, Avi.

00:20:17.500 Thanks, mate.

00:20:18.280 Thanks for having me.

00:20:19.160 You got it.

00:20:19.860 And that is Avi Yamini down under.

00:20:22.940 Keep it here, folks.

00:20:24.160 More of Rebel Roundup to come right after this.

00:20:34.880 Because you can't, are you?

00:20:36.900 Because you're charging me with no bounds whatsoever to charge me?

00:20:41.000 I'm walking up and down the sidewalk.

00:20:44.120 No, you didn't.

00:20:45.540 I just asked.

00:20:48.800 Exercise.

00:20:51.740 Exercise.

00:20:52.600 I'm not allowed to do my...

00:20:53.300 Exercise.

00:20:54.820 Well, I'm not just...

00:20:56.060 Okay, so what about him?

00:20:57.440 Are you going to go give him a second?

00:20:58.900 Because he's out of the bike.

00:20:59.820 We're not going to argue.

00:21:01.720 Really?

00:21:02.440 Okay.

00:21:02.820 You've been charged.

00:21:03.700 You have your options, okay?

00:21:05.000 She had posted some of the event on TikTok.

00:21:07.900 And, I mean, it had well over a million views.

00:21:12.720 Much of it was...

00:21:14.680 But, yeah, the hate was overwhelming at times.

00:21:18.420 Was it directed at you guys?

00:21:19.820 It was directed at her personally.

00:21:22.360 They picked on her clothing, how she spoke.

00:21:25.900 And some of it was certainly violent.

00:21:28.920 Like, it was...

00:21:29.940 As a mother, that must be terrifying. 0.97

00:21:32.000 That was really hard.

00:21:32.880 It was hard.

00:21:33.480 Just at the...

00:21:35.060 Because it's just like, this is my grade 12 daughter who just literally just wants to

00:21:39.700 go back to school.

00:21:40.720 And to think that she should have a death threat for that is...

00:21:44.080 Seems a little over the top.

00:21:45.180 A death threat?

00:21:46.420 Catherine Krasnowski here for Rebel News.

00:21:48.660 I'm in Bayfield, Ontario today speaking with Christina McMichael, who was ticketed along

00:21:53.560 with her daughter for what can be described as a very, very small micro-protest, a peaceful

00:22:01.820 march of two people.

00:22:04.040 I'm going to get Christina to explain what happened.

00:22:07.340 So, on the Friday, my daughter wanted to go for a walk, basically, in front of her high

00:22:16.900 school and enjoy the sun that day.

00:22:20.540 And, as well, she wanted to carry a sign that said, back to school.

00:22:25.660 She was just feeling frustrated with the new imposed lockdown measures.

00:22:30.300 And I had suggested to her that, you know, there are ways to handle frustration in positive

00:22:37.660 ways.

00:22:38.180 And she came up with the idea to, like I said, go for a walk and do it in front of her school

00:22:49.460 with the sign just to say, back to school, which was just basically a genuine statement

00:22:59.300 of how she was feeling.

00:23:00.360 She wanted to go back to school.

00:23:01.420 So, I supported her in that decision, and we talked about the possible repercussions

00:23:07.640 because of the stay-at-home order.

00:23:10.480 And we decided that the risk of a fine, if it was misinterpreted as an unnecessary measure,

00:23:20.240 was probably worth it.

00:23:22.260 So, I, you know, like I said, supported her in her decision, and I attended with her that

00:23:31.320 day because, as a parent, I was concerned about, honestly, other kids, how they would

00:23:36.380 react.

00:23:39.200 So, I...

00:23:40.400 You mean her peers not being supportive and bullying?

00:23:43.000 Yeah.

00:23:43.060 Just realizing, even in my own peer group, there's a lot of social pressure to conform.

00:23:49.060 And I wasn't sure how that would have went for her.

00:23:52.820 So, I wanted to be there for her, and I joined her walking around on the sidewalk.

00:23:59.000 And within probably a matter of five minutes or so, one police cruiser showed up, and subsequently,

00:24:10.360 five other ones showed up at that time.

00:24:12.360 So, six police cruisers.

00:24:14.300 Wow, the crime rate in Little Bayfield, Ontario, must be zero these days if six, yes, half a

00:24:21.060 dozen police cruisers converge at a school to break up a peaceful protest consisting of

00:24:28.500 two people?

00:24:30.060 Just imagine that dispatch call.

00:24:32.700 Calling all cars, calling all cars.

00:24:34.480 We've got a grade 12 girl pacing outside Bayfield Secondary. 1.00

00:24:39.240 She's armed with a piece of Bristol board.

00:24:42.360 Proceed with extreme caution.

00:24:44.520 Emergency task force, please remain on standby.

00:24:48.360 Give me a break.

00:24:49.320 Just when you thought things couldn't get any more insane, along comes this story that,

00:24:55.180 quite frankly, is beyond parody.

00:24:57.180 And joining me now to try to make sense out of an insane situation is one of our newest

00:25:02.660 rebel reporters.

00:25:03.480 That would be Catherine Krasinski. 0.86

00:25:06.480 I probably massacred your name, Catherine. 1.00

00:25:09.660 But in any event, forgive my speech impediment and welcome to Rebel Roundup.

00:25:14.100 Thank you, David.

00:25:14.820 Okay, here's the thing.

00:25:17.000 Why, I mean, this story, if there was no video evidence, it would be hard to believe.

00:25:23.440 Why were there six police cruisers dispatched for these two ladies? 1.00

00:25:28.020 Why was there even one sent?

00:25:30.100 So, in the video when I interviewed Christina, the mother of Megan, she said that they, the

00:25:38.140 mother, called the police liaison officer and gave them a heads up that they were going

00:25:42.480 to have, well, her daughter was going to have a one-person solo protest. 1.00

00:25:47.460 And I don't even know if she used the word protest, but she said she wants to go out and

00:25:50.920 she wants to exercise her freedom of speech.

00:25:52.500 She's going to do it here on this day just to let you know we want to do it safely.

00:25:55.960 We don't want to get in any trouble, so the liaison officer said, okay.

00:26:00.540 And then...

00:26:01.520 So, wait a minute.

00:26:02.200 So, what you're saying, the police gave it their blessing?

00:26:05.040 Not their blessing.

00:26:06.220 They just took the information.

00:26:07.940 Okay.

00:26:08.220 And I said, did she try to dissuade you?

00:26:10.140 She said, she was very politically correct about it.

00:26:13.540 She just said, okay, ma'am, like, as you know, there's a stay-at-home order.

00:26:16.640 And she didn't say yes or no, go ahead or don't.

00:26:19.140 But she just kind of took down the note, and that was the end of the conversation.

00:26:22.160 So, Christina, the mother, was under the impression that they were going to be fine and no one

00:26:28.500 was going to show up.

00:26:29.440 And to her dismay, she sees six cruisers, like the SUV style, not just the car, six of

00:26:36.240 them, lined up in front of the school and officers approaching her daughter and giving

00:26:41.640 her a ticket.

00:26:43.520 It was astonishing.

00:26:45.020 And when you see that officer saying, well, we're not going to discuss this, well, of course

00:26:48.460 you're not going to discuss it.

00:26:49.460 But you don't have any basis for this.

00:26:53.400 I mean, this, to me, Catherine, is outright fear and intimidation tactics against a grade

00:26:58.880 12 student.

00:26:59.900 Yeah.

00:27:00.360 And what I've learned from speaking with our Fight the Fines lawyers, they say police have

00:27:06.140 discretion.

00:27:07.220 They are allowed to say, you know what, this does not need the cold hand of the law.

00:27:12.700 This is not a situation that requires our presence.

00:27:15.740 We can go.

00:27:16.260 And they showed up to this one girl holding her sign and decided, you know what, no, this

00:27:21.220 does need us.

00:27:21.940 We need to be here.

00:27:22.780 We need to find this and intimidate this poor young girl. 1.00

00:27:26.260 You know, Catherine, to show how upside down the world is these days, I just can't help

00:27:32.680 but think, here's a grade 12 student with a sign imploring the authorities to let her

00:27:38.420 go back to school.

00:27:40.020 It used to be the opposite problem, people playing hooky.

00:27:42.620 Oh, that was me.

00:27:43.400 Yeah, you know, and you'd have the truancy officers out trying to find them.

00:27:47.100 Yeah.

00:27:47.240 Oh, this is a sin somehow, saying I want to get back to school?

00:27:52.600 It wasn't even like she was carrying a sign that said, COVID is a hoax or don't do this.

00:27:57.760 She was not trying to give anyone any medical advice.

00:28:00.180 She wasn't, there was no hate speech involved.

00:28:02.980 The sign said, back to school.

00:28:05.720 Yeah.

00:28:05.940 Very vague, and it was just her.

00:28:08.960 It wasn't like she posted on Facebook saying, come and join me, let's create havoc.

00:28:13.480 It was nothing like that.

00:28:14.460 But speaking of hate speech, and actually it's beyond hate speech, you told me off camera

00:28:18.240 that in the aftermath, she actually received death threats.

00:28:22.780 Yeah.

00:28:22.980 So she, Megan, the daughter, she posted the incident that her mom had filmed for her with

00:28:29.500 all the police officers on TikTok.

00:28:31.240 And she had an outpouring of support, of course, but there were just as many haters, and people

00:28:37.920 were making fun of the way she looked, the way she spoke, and sending death threats. 0.98

00:28:42.580 And they weren't actionable death threats, like, I'm going to come to kill you.

00:28:46.720 So her mom said, like, there was no legal action they could take. 0.99

00:28:48.800 It was more general, like, I hope you die.

00:28:52.080 And, you know, think of the, first of all, I want to address the fact, the way she spoke, 0.95

00:28:56.320 the way she looked, the way she dressed, there was nothing wrong, nothing whatsoever.

00:28:59.700 Secondly, Catherine, the perverse irony here of the people who want you to stay at home

00:29:08.220 in your basement, eating cherry cheesecake all day, it's for your safety, dear.

00:29:13.380 You don't want to go out and get infected.

00:29:15.060 So she does go outside, and there's no tangible evidence showing somebody outside is going to

00:29:21.780 get the Wuhan virus.

00:29:24.040 Certainly not when she's just with her mother, too.

00:29:25.660 Yeah, in their own, you know, social bubble, so to speak.

00:29:29.440 And yet, their reaction is, I hope you die, but wait a minute, aren't you advocating safety measures

00:29:36.980 to prolong their life? 0.90

00:29:39.140 This is making my head explode.

00:29:40.940 This is the funniest part of this whole thing, is that people are actively wishing death,

00:29:46.900 and specifically COVID-related death, on people who are sick and tired of the lockdown.

00:29:52.820 Oh, yeah.

00:29:53.300 It's like, the lockdown is supposed to prevent death, and now you're wishing death on people

00:29:59.660 who are questioning that order.

00:30:01.480 It's completely boggling.

00:30:03.080 And, you know, Catherine, let me, you know, lead me through this.

00:30:06.960 The whole idea of the police acting like they are is the stay-at-home order.

00:30:11.180 Yet, as you very well know, last week, when Premier Doug Ford went looking for his new

00:30:16.780 11-year-old friend, potential future Premier, evidently, in cabinet material, he hopped in

00:30:22.600 his pickup truck and buggered off to his house, assuming Little Arthur actually exists.

00:30:29.160 Who knows?

00:30:29.920 But the Premier admitted at a press conference, he broke the stay-at-home order.

00:30:35.340 So why aren't the Ontario Provincial Police at Doug Ford's house with a summons?

00:30:39.900 I would like to know that as well.

00:30:41.520 It's like what you hear about, you know, in the old times when there's kings and they're

00:30:45.520 just doing whatever they want and let them eat cake and Marie Antoinette business. 0.95

00:30:49.560 Like, you are reenacting those exact same prophecies that we've seen before, where the, like you

00:30:57.300 like to say, rules for thee, not for me.

00:30:59.780 That's the only way I can square it.

00:31:01.400 It's outright hypocrisy, and you should be leading by example.

00:31:04.340 But apparently the laws don't apply to the political elite.

00:31:08.620 One last question, Catherine.

00:31:10.880 What is the, I guess, future strategy for Meghan?

00:31:15.240 Is she going to continue and have another protest, or is she going to cool it now?

00:31:20.080 I mean, hopefully the haters haven't made her feel down about her exercising freedom of

00:31:26.660 speech.

00:31:27.080 Yeah.

00:31:27.340 I asked her mother when I was speaking to her in person, I asked her if she was proud

00:31:32.540 of her daughter, and she said, yes, I am.

00:31:34.200 But I'm also scared.

00:31:36.860 It's a little bit nerve-wracking having all of this attention and negative attention be

00:31:40.440 put on her. 0.97

00:31:40.960 So I think I asked her, you know, how does she feel about this?

00:31:45.740 Is she scared?

00:31:46.300 Is she emboldened?

00:31:46.820 And she said she's more emboldened than ever.

00:31:48.200 But I do think that the, and Christine is a single mother, and Meghan's her only daughter.

00:31:53.980 So I think she's being a little bit cautious and protective right now and saying, we've

00:31:58.900 had a lot of attention.

00:32:00.140 We're going to pull back a little bit.

00:32:01.660 She's not going to stop fighting for freedom.

00:32:03.260 Probably she's still making TikToks, et cetera. 1.00

00:32:05.500 But I think that they're like, you know, the spotlight can be taken off of us for a minute

00:32:10.220 and just enjoy a little bit of peace and quiet.

00:32:12.680 But she did say that her daughter, Meghan, is feeling emboldened by this.

00:32:16.640 But she wants to be safe.

00:32:17.980 I'm very happy to hear that.

00:32:18.940 And it was a great piece, Catherine.

00:32:20.720 So thank you so much for that.

00:32:21.860 And for the police, the OPP officers out in Bayfield, really, there's no other crime

00:32:26.180 in that town?

00:32:27.660 Do you really think that you are upholding your oath to serve and protect by doing that

00:32:33.280 to a grade 12 girl?

00:32:35.260 You should be ashamed of yourself.

00:32:36.560 There are other uses for law enforcement other than trying to apply fear and intimidation

00:32:42.980 to individuals who are just exercising their freedom of speech.

00:32:47.680 Just egregious.

00:32:48.860 Keep it here.

00:32:49.400 More of Rubble Roundup to come right after this.

00:32:56.460 Just before the Ontario legislature wrapped for summer recess, Premier Doug Ford ended a press

00:33:03.840 conference with an anecdote that was somewhat charming and, in truth, equal parts surreal

00:33:11.140 and bizarre.

00:33:12.700 It was all about an 11-year-old boy named Arthur.

00:33:16.540 Take it away, Premier.

00:33:17.960 So I get a letter dropped off at my house.

00:33:20.600 I get a lot of letters dropped off at my house.

00:33:23.680 And I read it.

00:33:24.380 And it's from a young gentleman named Arthur.

00:33:28.380 Are people really dropping off letters at Premier Ford's home all the time?

00:33:33.840 I'm pretty sure there's a police car there 24-7.

00:33:37.560 Wouldn't allowing people to put letters in the Ford mailbox be a security breach?

00:33:42.660 People can put really nasty, harmful things in envelopes, after all.

00:33:47.980 Continue.

00:33:48.900 And they lived a few blocks away and real passionate.

00:33:52.580 You know, this is what kills me.

00:33:53.860 I'd rather get drilled down by the reporters than sit and talk to these kids because it

00:33:58.460 rips your heart out when you talk to them.

00:34:00.260 So I took it upon myself to hop in my pickup.

00:34:03.120 I drove over to the house.

00:34:04.360 And I didn't tell him I was coming.

00:34:06.720 And he goes to a French school.

00:34:09.180 And it was all written in French.

00:34:10.420 Mother translated it in English on the other side for me.

00:34:14.300 So I went over and I knocked on the door.

00:34:16.340 And this little guy comes out.

00:34:18.200 And I said, are you Arthur?

00:34:20.260 And he said, no, I'm Marcus.

00:34:22.140 I said, is your mom home?

00:34:24.160 And he said, no, they're out in the back having dinner.

00:34:27.500 Come with me.

00:34:28.560 He was great.

00:34:29.280 He was like a little butler.

00:34:30.220 You know, he put this mask on.

00:34:32.680 I had my mask on.

00:34:34.220 And so we went in the backyard.

00:34:37.020 The nicest family you could ever, ever meet.

00:34:39.780 At the time this occurred, folks, there was still a stay-at-home order in the province

00:34:44.880 of Ontario.

00:34:45.640 So yet again, is it one rule for me and one rule for thee?

00:34:51.600 Continue.

00:34:52.820 And it was so difficult.

00:34:54.480 So I met Arthur.

00:34:56.100 And I'll tell you, he's going to be the future premier.

00:34:59.580 I sat and I asked him.

00:35:01.040 I said, Arthur, this is the situation.

00:35:03.000 I'm going to bring it to the cabinet.

00:35:04.100 I was very upfront with him.

00:35:05.400 But I'm really concerned about putting all the kids in the classroom.

00:35:09.880 If you happen to be watching, Marcus, some advice here.

00:35:13.640 If an unknown individual comes a-callin', do not open the door to him and do not let him

00:35:21.740 enter the house.

00:35:23.420 Stranger danger.

00:35:25.320 Now, in fairness, I cannot accuse Premier Ford of being a liar without evidence.

00:35:31.040 But folks, does the Little Arthur story pass your personal sniff test?

00:35:37.860 It just seems so weird to me.

00:35:41.540 So it was that I decided to venture out to ground zero for the story, Premier Ford's house.

00:35:47.900 I thought I'd ask the man guarding his residence if he has seen Little Arthur.

00:35:54.900 And here's how that went.

00:35:57.260 Hi, sir.

00:35:58.420 I'm David Menzies with Rebel News.

00:36:00.400 Can you get off the property, sir?

00:36:01.700 Oh, okay, then.

00:36:02.740 Just one thing.

00:36:03.960 We're looking for Arthur.

00:36:05.440 And what is the protocol for dropping off letters to...

00:36:08.420 If you have something to drop off, you can drop it off to whoever's here, security.

00:36:12.200 Oh, like yourself?

00:36:13.060 Yeah, and we can hand it in to the family or whoever it's for.

00:36:18.580 Okay, fair enough.

00:36:19.460 Just one quick question.

00:36:20.620 Does Arthur exist?

00:36:22.600 I have no comment.

00:36:23.500 I'm not here to comment on a statement.

00:36:26.540 Okay, very good.

00:36:27.940 Have a good weekend.

00:36:28.720 Okay.

00:36:32.060 Well, so I guess Doug, Ontario, open for business.

00:36:40.240 Doug, for the people, the very first things out of a security detail was get off the property.

00:36:45.180 Normally, I wouldn't come to a politician's house, but since this is part of the story,

00:36:49.240 I thought it was pertinent to do so.

00:36:51.940 So apparently, if you do want Doug Ford to read your letter, you've got to drop it off

00:36:58.460 with the man right here who claims to be the security detail.

00:37:03.360 And in the meantime, well, we'll just cruise around the neighborhood.

00:37:09.340 Arthur!

00:37:12.600 Arthur!

00:37:15.720 Arthur!

00:37:16.240 So what do you think, folks?

00:37:20.280 Does little Arthur, a.k.a. Ontario's future premier, actually exist?

00:37:25.940 Or is he about as real as a certain animated aardvark that goes by the same name?

00:37:31.180 Only Premier Ford knows for certain, yet can we really, really trust Doug these days?

00:37:37.540 I sure don't.

00:37:38.660 In any event, you had plenty to say about Doug Ford's new buddy, Arthur.

00:37:44.720 Assuming Arthur actually exists, that is.

00:37:47.800 Indemeli Rajapaxi writes,

00:37:51.000 OMG, so this is how Ontario is run?

00:37:55.220 Yes, this is how Ontario is run, my friend.

00:37:58.100 And hey, it's running very nicely for Doug Ford.

00:38:01.440 I mean, I understand his Deco Labels business, which has never closed down for a single day,

00:38:07.160 is enjoying record sales, what with all the new signage that is needed for pandemic protocol.

00:38:13.660 In fact, I think I'll put in an order for a billboard-sized sign myself.

00:38:19.220 How does this grab you?

00:38:20.540 Hey, little Arthur, please call Rebel News.

00:38:24.020 We'd love to interview the future premier.

00:38:26.740 Scotty 28653 writes,

00:38:30.960 Doug is hallucinating from eating too much cheesecake.

00:38:35.020 Well, Scotty, I actually didn't know there were hallucinogenic properties in cherry cheesecake.

00:38:41.240 And if that is indeed the case, maybe we need to sell this cheesecake stuff

00:38:46.040 at Liquor Control Board of Ontario stores.

00:38:49.960 MP writes,

00:38:51.640 BS meter off the charts with this guy.

00:38:54.340 Oh, I feel your pain, MP.

00:38:56.760 In fact, my personal BS meter overheated and broke into pieces during the Arthur fable,

00:39:02.860 or I mean, story.

00:39:04.440 Such a shame. 0.99

00:39:05.500 It's so hard to find good BS meter parts these days, thanks to this darn pandemic. 0.98

00:39:11.940 John Smith writes, 0.97

00:39:13.360 Could it be that Arthur is Harvey, the rabbit's twin brother?

00:39:17.320 Well, John, I was going to ask Linus for guidance on your query,

00:39:21.320 but it turns out the kid is already on the lookout for the great pumpkin

00:39:25.340 and thus was unavailable for comment.

00:39:28.680 And Rebel writes,

00:39:29.920 OMG, David, I'm crying, laughing.

00:39:33.000 You are the man.

00:39:34.080 Arthur, Arthur, OMG, I'm dead.

00:39:38.160 Well, thanks, Rebel.

00:39:39.340 Oh, I was laughing during this assignment too, my friend.

00:39:43.560 But believe me, inside?

00:39:45.800 Inside I'm crying.

00:39:47.140 Well, that wraps up another edition of Rebel Roundup.

00:39:50.300 Thanks so much for joining us.

00:39:51.620 See you next week.

00:39:52.460 And hey, folks, never forget, without risk, there can be no glory.

00:39:57.040 Good night.

00:39:57.520 We'll see you next week.

00:40:27.520 We'll see you next week.

00:40:28.420 Bye.

00:40:46.780 Bye.

00:40:47.280 Bye.

00:40:48.340 Bye.

00:40:48.680 Bye.

00:40:50.360 Bye.

00:40:50.500 Bye.

00:40:54.020 Bye.

00:40:54.820 Bye.

00:40:55.760 Bye.

Rebel News Podcast - June 12, 2021

DAVID MENZIES ｜ Aussie Law Enforcement, Ontario Cops Target High Schooler

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