Rebel News Podcast - DAVID MENZIES ｜ Canadian truckers from Ottawa to Coutts, Alberta

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

00:00:06.660 Now, if you like listening to this podcast, then you would love watching it.

00:00:11.260 But in order to watch, you need to be a subscriber to Rebel News Plus.

00:00:16.060 That's what we call our long-format TV-style shows here on The Rebel.

00:00:21.840 Subscribers get access to watching my weekly show, as well as other great TV-style shows, too.

00:00:28.800 It's only $8 a month to subscribe, or you can subscribe annually and get two months free.

00:00:36.760 And just for podcast listeners, you can also save an extra 10% on a new premium membership

00:00:44.040 by using the coupon code PODCAST when you subscribe.

00:00:50.000 Just go to rebelnewsplus.com to become a member.

00:00:54.020 And please leave a five-star review on this podcast and subscribe in iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts.

00:01:03.320 Those reviews are a great way to support Rebel News without spending a dime.

00:01:09.580 And now, enjoy this free audio-only version of my show.

00:01:14.460 Welcome to Rebel Roundup, ladies and gentlemen, and the rest of you,

00:01:32.720 in which we look back at the very best commentaries of the week by your favourite Rebels.

00:01:37.180 I'm your host, David Menzies.

00:01:39.120 The trucker convoy rolled into Ottawa last weekend,

00:01:43.020 but if you received your information from the mainstream media,

00:01:46.780 you'd think that it was members of the KKK that descended upon Parliament Hill, not patriots.

00:01:54.480 Thankfully, Rebel News reporters were there in full force to provide the other side of the story.

00:02:00.980 And the big boss man himself, Ezra Levent, will drop by to explain what really transpired last weekend.

00:02:09.200 Speaking of Rebel News reporters and truckers,

00:02:12.460 Kian Simone and Sid Fizard are currently embedded with the truckers at the Alberta-Montana border.

00:02:19.380 They'll join me to discuss what's happening in this particular neck of the woods.

00:02:25.160 And letters, we get your letters.

00:02:27.060 We get them every minute of every day.

00:02:29.180 And you had plenty to say about the City of Toronto implementing a policy

00:02:33.820 in which native-themed sports jerseys, such as the glorious Chicago Blackhawks sweater,

00:02:40.060 are now banned at city-owned hockey rinks.

00:02:44.040 What the puck?

00:02:45.760 Those are your Rebels now. Let's round them up. 0.77

00:02:55.320 Everybody recognize this guy!

00:02:59.180 Does anybody know the name Ezra Levent?

00:03:05.260 Does anybody know the name Ezra Levent?

00:03:11.340 Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for Ezra Levent, the Rebel News.

00:03:16.620 Thank you very much.

00:03:19.100 Hello, everybody.

00:03:19.960 It is cold today, it is cold today, almost as cold as Justin Trudeau's heart.

00:03:30.680 It's great to be here, and on behalf of Rebel News, I salute you.

00:03:36.440 And I say keep speaking truth to power.

00:03:39.020 But I want to tell you what excites me the most about this crowd.

00:03:42.940 I see a lot of cameras, a lot of independent journalists,

00:03:48.220 because when people say, what do we do about the media?

00:03:51.100 I say you become the media, that's what you do.

00:03:57.700 The media acts like a party.

00:04:00.980 The media party.

00:04:02.580 It's a subsidiary of the Liberal Party.

00:04:05.880 So you've got to tell the story yourselves.

00:04:08.200 Everyone who is here, everyone who is along the road,

00:04:13.040 has to bear witness and testify to what they saw.

00:04:17.260 Because there's two competing narratives.

00:04:20.100 The government says you're racist.

00:04:23.300 The government says you're sexist. 0.98

00:04:25.120 The government says you're violent.

00:04:26.480 In the meantime, I've never seen a more diverse group of Canadians.

00:04:32.480 But far from violence, people want to not be violated anymore.

00:04:41.900 Justin Trudeau says you're extreme,

00:04:44.600 but he's the one who has violated our civil rights.

00:04:49.280 He says you're a fringe. 0.64

00:04:52.100 Well, that's a pretty bloody big fringe. 0.97

00:04:57.740 Let me close by saying this.

00:05:00.620 Someone asked me this morning,

00:05:02.200 what's the point?

00:05:03.900 What's going to happen?

00:05:05.780 Why did we all gather in Ottawa?

00:05:08.740 Is he going to listen?

00:05:10.180 Is he going to resign?

00:05:11.720 Is the Governor General going to ask him to step down?

00:05:15.140 No, he'll hold on to power as hard as he can.

00:05:18.600 Let me tell you what I think the point is.

00:05:22.220 The point is the convoy itself.

00:05:25.200 To show that you're not alone.

00:05:27.980 To show that you're not the crazy one they are. 0.73

00:05:30.740 To show that you're not the crazy one they are.

00:05:37.720 You already achieved your goal just by being here.

00:05:43.140 And the fact that millions of dollars came into the GoFundMe for the truckers.

00:05:50.120 Even if they would have canceled that,

00:05:53.680 it was still a success.

00:05:55.820 Because it was a measurement of how much people cared.

00:06:01.140 You have succeeded just by being here.

00:06:05.880 Well, folks, although 2022 is still in its infancy,

00:06:11.060 I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that brief three-minute speech

00:06:15.320 is perhaps the best speech of the year thus far.

00:06:18.920 And without further ado, I'm joined by the orator himself, Ezra Levin.

00:06:23.900 Ezra, so many angles, so many components of what happened last weekend in Ottawa

00:06:30.260 to dissect and discuss.

00:06:33.240 I want to talk, first of all, about the media coverage.

00:06:36.160 I was in Toronto at the time.

00:06:37.640 I was listening to a bunch of talk radio.

00:06:39.440 Ezra, I swear to God, given the media reporting on so-called objective news stations,

00:06:46.900 you would have thought that it was a KKK rally descending on Parliament Hill.

00:06:51.080 It was atrocious.

00:06:51.920 What is your take on how this is being portrayed in the media?

00:06:58.040 Well, first of all, the protest was literally at the office of, I don't know,

00:07:04.540 250 journalists in the Parliamentary Press Gallery.

00:07:07.080 Like, they couldn't avoid it if they were just going to work.

00:07:11.520 But I think about 245 of them did avoid it.

00:07:15.420 Maybe five reporters from the Ottawa Press Gallery descended down to the rabble.

00:07:23.340 I give Evan Solomon credit for being one of them.

00:07:26.180 Rupa, I can't remember her last name from the National Post.

00:07:28.700 It's another one.

00:07:30.760 And those that did were fairly honest.

00:07:33.380 They said, look, there's a lot of well-meaning people here.

00:07:35.520 They might be a little rough around the edges, but they have genuine concerns.

00:07:38.440 And it's a lot more diverse than its critics say.

00:07:41.500 But like I say, 245 out of the 250 did not.

00:07:44.620 So they were in their cubicles or cowering at home.

00:07:48.300 And they were really working off of Twitter rumors or press releases from the liberal war room.

00:07:54.000 And so you really had two completely different narratives.

00:07:57.340 As Scott Adams would say, we were watching two different movies.

00:08:01.200 Except for one group wasn't even watching it.

00:08:04.120 Yeah.

00:08:04.640 And that's the great contest.

00:08:07.540 There are two narratives.

00:08:08.520 That these are heroes, peaceful, regular, severely normal Canadians standing up for all of us.

00:08:15.200 Or these are alt-right, fascist, revolutionary insurrectionists who would turn violent in a second.

00:08:23.200 Those both cannot be true.

00:08:25.580 One of them is true.

00:08:26.680 One isn't.

00:08:27.140 And the thing is, I think normally in the past, the government narrative, the media party narrative would win because they just have so much momentum and resources and they all repeat each other.

00:08:38.840 But in this case, I don't think it's working.

00:08:41.700 I have a few reasons for that.

00:08:43.200 The first is obviously a great number of people who either participated or cheered along or were like one degree of separation from it.

00:08:51.100 I would say that probably one million people either saw it, cheered it, waved it on, or were in somehow part of it and felt connected to it.

00:09:00.900 So they don't believe a lie about it.

00:09:03.820 Second of all, I see a poll out by Abacus.

00:09:08.100 And you know them.

00:09:08.820 Their chairman is Bruce Anderson, a top liberal activist.

00:09:13.660 So they're no friends of the trucker.

00:09:16.940 And they just released a poll showing that 32% of Canadians see themselves in the convoy.

00:09:25.600 Now, David Colletto, the chief statistician there, said, you know, that's a minor number.

00:09:31.780 A minor number?

00:09:32.840 Justin Trudeau got elected prime minister with 32% in the polls.

00:09:36.700 Right?

00:09:36.900 So if 32% of Canadians see themselves in the truckers, well, that's certainly more than see themselves as New Democrats or the Conservative Party of Canada.

00:09:46.260 That is an enormous force that really came out of nowhere in the last two weeks.

00:09:51.260 Another measurement, and this is what I said in my speech, is the $10 million raised by the truckers.

00:09:55.920 It's very valuable for the cause.

00:09:57.660 But more than that, it's a measurement of the passion out there and the commitment.

00:10:01.600 I mean, there's no political party that's raised $10 million in the last two weeks.

00:10:04.880 So, and why is it that all of a sudden, and Angus Reid shows similar polling, now a majority of people say, it's time to end the lockdowns.

00:10:14.960 That is because of the truckers.

00:10:16.900 Why did Francois Legault say, you know what?

00:10:19.280 A, I'll meet with the truckers.

00:10:20.840 B, I'm not going to proceed with my tax the unvaxxed.

00:10:23.780 Is he doing it because he's truly had a change of heart, like the Grinch's heart grew three sizes, or is it because he saw the polls and said, yikes, this is the first opposition that there's really been in two years.

00:10:36.360 And wouldn't you know it's working because it's so authentic.

00:10:39.440 It's so uncontrived.

00:10:41.100 It's so uncynical.

00:10:42.200 It's so honest.

00:10:43.320 And it's not affiliated with any political party.

00:10:45.380 The entire political class has been discredited.

00:10:47.920 And why did Scott Moe announce a complete end to all COVID rules?

00:10:55.100 He didn't give a specific date, but he said it's imminent.

00:10:57.620 Why did Jason Kenney move from saying, oh, maybe by St. Patrick's Day will be done, that's March 17th, to, oh, my God, I think in a few days we'll do.

00:11:06.820 It's the truckers.

00:11:07.760 And across this country, there has been more movement towards freedom in the last 10 days than there has been in the last 100 weeks.

00:11:18.780 I totally agree with that, Ezra.

00:11:20.420 And by the way, pursuing the political angle you're going down with in terms of those political figures with those premiers, let us not forget the other big news of the week.

00:11:30.320 Aaron O'Toole finally being ousted.

00:11:32.160 A lot of people say, and I subscribe to this point of view, Ezra, this trucker convoy was a catalyst in the trigger being put.

00:11:40.980 This is being mocked by those in the media.

00:11:43.400 They're saying, yeah, the truckers are also claiming responsibility for warmer weather in Ottawa.

00:11:47.340 That was a quote from a conservative commentator, I might say, on radio.

00:11:53.440 What is your take?

00:11:55.200 Absolutely.

00:11:55.800 Okay.

00:11:56.500 Absolutely.

00:11:57.380 Okay.

00:11:57.580 First of all, it's the only intervening fact in the last two weeks of any substance.

00:12:04.640 Second of all, it drew into sharp focus the fact that Aaron O'Toole has been a coward, has been unconservative, has not opposed, and has not led over the last two months.

00:12:14.920 He has been no Ron DeSantis.

00:12:17.460 He has not truly been conservative.

00:12:19.780 He has not truly opposed.

00:12:20.660 And the worst part was when he just went with that rictus grin, and he said, and people say, oh, that inauthentic plastic say nothing, don't answer.

00:12:35.620 Like, it's just that he's grating the way he's so fake.

00:12:39.940 I think, and you know what, there's so much pressure on grassroots MPs, and especially in the West, especially in Saskatchewan, especially, that they just say, you know what, we can see the writing on the wall.

00:12:52.200 And you started to see little acts of rebellion.

00:12:54.740 And between the acts of rebellion and O'Toole's own absolute vanilla say nothingness, it was just a crisis.

00:13:05.140 O'Toole did the usual.

00:13:06.500 He lashed out, just like he lashed out at Derek Sloan, just like he lashed out at everybody.

00:13:12.860 Except for this time, it didn't work.

00:13:14.500 He was given the HIFO.

00:13:15.620 It is absolutely on the truckers, because they were the catalyst.

00:13:20.220 He didn't rise to the occasion.

00:13:21.620 And he was stressed by the fact that his grassroots were no longer obeying him on that.

00:13:28.020 The truckers got rid of Aaron O'Toole, and I thank them for it.

00:13:30.800 And you know, Ezra, I think he missed an opportunity.

00:13:35.200 Had he gone out there to meet with the truckers, had he echoed the statements of Tucker Carlson on Fox News, who has been covering this issue, which is to say, I love what Tucker made this quote.

00:13:45.960 If you were alive, thank a trucker.

00:13:48.440 The groceries that get to the supermarket are from truckers.

00:13:51.740 The medicine that gets to pharmacies are from truckers.

00:13:55.060 And on and on it goes.

00:13:56.460 If Aaron O'Toole made that speech, and forceful, because right now I still don't know if he supports the company.

00:14:03.180 Well, he has to take a poll first.

00:14:05.120 Well, I mean, seriously, part of being a leader is that you're not the last one to join a parade.

00:14:12.280 Maybe a leader isn't the very, very, very first one.

00:14:15.000 Maybe that's a little too dangerous.

00:14:16.760 But a leader wants to generally be ahead of the curve.

00:14:19.240 Ron DeSantis, and I mention him not just because I think he's an outstanding governor, but I remember those very early days.

00:14:24.720 It was two weeks of absolutely bruising media political response to him.

00:14:30.960 And so he was ahead of the curve, and he didn't blink.

00:14:33.640 And he went through it.

00:14:35.020 And now the Republicans in Miami are so strong.

00:14:39.620 The Democrats don't want in Miami?

00:14:41.320 Yeah.

00:14:41.520 Seriously?

00:14:42.340 Yes, seriously.

00:14:43.640 I mean, that was such a Democrat town until the last few years.

00:14:47.420 And that's a leader.

00:14:49.720 Now, I'm not saying Aaron O'Toole should be super brave, because there's a line between bravery and craziness.

00:14:56.600 But he didn't even try.

00:14:58.780 Contrast that to Pierre Polyev, who gave some wonderful speeches in the last week, including speeches to the CBC saying,

00:15:05.420 don't judge everybody by one bad apple.

00:15:07.720 And I heard from my friends in the caucus that Aaron O'Toole was specifically displeased with Pierre Polyev being mean to the CBC.

00:15:20.240 And even – and Garnet Genuys, who is a conservative MP from northern Alberta, oil patch, who, to his great discredit,

00:15:29.460 came out in favor of the carbon tax because Aaron O'Toole told him to.

00:15:33.120 Just the worst political moment in Garnet Genuys' life, but it showed how obedient he was.

00:15:37.720 But Aaron O'Toole lashed out at Garnet Genuys, who was an Aaron O'Toole booster, lashed out claiming he was like some bigot.

00:15:47.360 And Garnet Genuys replied and said, no, I'm not.

00:15:50.500 And that's – they're being deeply divisive.

00:15:52.760 And when you're attacking – and even in his last attempt to save himself, what did O'Toole do?

00:15:59.560 He did a Trudeau move.

00:16:01.240 He did a CBC move.

00:16:02.480 He did a deplatforming move.

00:16:03.960 He did a media name-calling move.

00:16:06.800 Aaron O'Toole – I don't know if it was his advisors or if that truly was in his blood.

00:16:11.640 But he was never conservative.

00:16:14.280 He lied about being conservative.

00:16:16.700 And let's stop talking about Aaron O'Toole because in about 10 minutes people – in fact, I've already forgotten who he is.

00:16:22.020 Candace Bergen is the interim leader.

00:16:26.400 And she's been stronger.

00:16:29.420 Yes.

00:16:29.700 Well, anyone's been stronger than Aaron O'Toole.

00:16:32.080 And I think if Pierre Polyev steps into the leadership race, it's his to lose.

00:16:37.120 I mean he's so strong.

00:16:38.340 He's so well regarded.

00:16:39.480 I mean I would challenge you.

00:16:41.000 Name five other conservative party critics.

00:16:44.340 Name one other critic besides Pierre Polyev.

00:16:46.660 He has the policy smarts.

00:16:49.140 He has the communication skill.

00:16:51.020 He's been around long enough.

00:16:53.180 He –

00:16:53.700 But does he want the gig as a –

00:16:55.300 Well, how could he not want it?

00:16:56.920 I don't know if there's any personal reason why he's not going to campaign.

00:17:00.940 I thought he was going to run last time.

00:17:02.380 He sort of dipped his toe in the pool.

00:17:04.660 Yeah.

00:17:04.800 It is his turn.

00:17:06.880 And if he misses it, he may miss his moment.

00:17:09.600 I think Pierre Polyev is respected by the other side.

00:17:13.200 They may not like him.

00:17:14.620 They may find him grating or too slick.

00:17:16.940 But he is very well briefed.

00:17:19.340 No one can argue that Pierre Polyev doesn't know his file.

00:17:22.480 He's a good communicator.

00:17:24.240 He is a good local politician.

00:17:26.280 He works very hard.

00:17:28.200 I think he would be a great conservative leader.

00:17:30.040 I think he could actually become prime minister.

00:17:31.380 I agree with you.

00:17:33.300 And I love Pierre.

00:17:35.140 He is always on red hot.

00:17:38.000 Ezra, one last thing.

00:17:39.500 I want to ask about this convoy in Ottawa and in Cootes, Alberta.

00:17:45.780 They haven't been there for even a weekend.

00:17:48.600 And there's this pressure.

00:17:50.600 Come on, move on, move on.

00:17:51.680 You made your point.

00:17:52.480 Get out of town.

00:17:53.360 Yeah.

00:17:54.080 How is it that two years ago there were other people blocking rail lines?

00:17:59.800 It went on for weeks and weeks and weeks, costing billions of dollars to the Canadian economy.

00:18:05.960 And, hey, what are you going to do?

00:18:08.620 It's a peaceful protest.

00:18:10.460 Why the double standard, my friend?

00:18:11.940 Well, I think you answered it right there.

00:18:13.580 Because it was, I mean, Black Lives Matter protests, which not so much in Canada, but throughout the United States, torched the urban center of a half dozen U.S. cities.

00:18:26.560 Justin Trudeau actually went to join them, breaking his no public gatherings rule.

00:18:32.280 It's all about the politics.

00:18:34.080 These protesters in the entire weekend, in the first weekend of the protest in Ottawa, not a single arrest, not a single charge by police.

00:18:42.360 I was there.

00:18:43.240 I saw people picking up garbage, people shoveling snow, very peaceful, severely normal people who had never been to a protest before in their life.

00:18:49.900 But because they're against the lockdown, they were demonized.

00:18:55.540 You see calls for the military.

00:18:58.160 The military for what? 0.99

00:18:59.100 For you going to shoot them?

00:19:01.200 Well, it worked for Justin's father in 1970, the War Measures Act.

00:19:04.380 Yeah, and it's quite something for all the Ottawa insiders, for the media, for the bureaucrats, for the politicians to say, okay, you've had your two days of democracy.

00:19:14.820 Now, shoo, shoo, shoo, you're done with your two days of democracy.

00:19:18.060 Now, it doesn't work that way.

00:19:19.260 And sorry to have gross working people in your fancy city, but you actually work for us.

00:19:28.780 And I love the – it's so beautiful.

00:19:31.540 And I keep thinking of that book, 1984, by George Orwell, that phrase, if there is any hope, it lies with the proles.

00:19:37.960 That was the short form for proletariat that Orwell was using.

00:19:41.240 Because the working class, working people have more common sense, usually, than PhDs. 0.99

00:19:47.260 You have to be – you have to have a PhD to believe certain kinds of nonsense.

00:19:52.840 And I don't know.

00:19:55.340 It's just so amazing.

00:19:56.560 I would never have thought that it would be the truckers to free us in in Alberta for Jason Kenney in the course of 24 hours to go from smearing those truckers in Trudeau language, in Aaron O'Toole language, claiming they're violent, to actually putting out a tweet saying, I'm with you.

00:20:14.080 Hi, guys.

00:20:14.920 I'm with you.

00:20:15.600 Please don't fire me like you just fired Aaron O'Toole.

00:20:18.440 I've never seen Jason Kenney that scared before.

00:20:21.460 What a beautiful sight.

00:20:22.960 The fact that it was 500 truckers in Coots, Alberta, is just the icing on the cake.

00:20:28.860 And they're not done yet, by the way.

00:20:30.600 I talked to our reporters there several times a day.

00:20:34.020 And those truckers in Coots will not rest until they have freed the province.

00:20:39.160 Fantastic.

00:20:40.220 Well, Ezra, thank you for your analysis.

00:20:42.020 Spot on, as always.

00:20:43.140 And, folks, you know, I wish I could have been there last weekend.

00:20:46.140 But guess what?

00:20:46.620 I'm going this weekend.

00:20:48.060 Can't wait to see the truckers, the Patriots, and their supporters.

00:20:52.000 I'll be there.

00:20:53.740 Say hello if you see me.

00:20:55.600 In the meantime, keep it here.

00:20:57.060 More of Rebel Roundup to come right after this.

00:20:59.540 I've also received reports in the last hour of people allied with the protesters assaulting RCMP officers,

00:21:25.660 including, in one instance, trying to ram members of the RCMP,

00:21:30.360 later leading to a collision with a civilian vehicle in the area.

00:21:36.680 This kind of conduct is totally unacceptable.

00:21:40.040 Now, that individual was named by the Western Standard.

00:21:43.220 And we actually caught up with an individual who was at the scene of the crime, so to speak,

00:21:47.440 even though there wasn't actually any crime.

00:21:49.300 But, Kian, with no more, he was actually there. 0.58

00:21:50.920 Do you want to fill us in?

00:21:51.520 Yes, so there is an eyewitness behind the blockade who reached out to me.

00:21:56.240 And he was speaking with the two officers who were there who said that there was no assault.

00:22:01.420 And we have an update from him from behind the scene at the checkpoint.

00:22:05.760 As well, we have Chad Williamson willing to do an update on this scene as well.

00:22:09.840 He said, number one, that us as the protesters rammed RCMP vehicles,

00:22:14.940 as well as that there was an assault on an officer, RCMP officer.

00:22:20.520 When I heard that, I grabbed my phone, thank goodness for technology,

00:22:25.120 showed the RCMP officers what he said.

00:22:29.000 We're all in agreeance.

00:22:30.900 Sergeant Henderson's been awesome to work with.

00:22:32.980 Been working up, trying to get a statement from the RCMP.

00:22:35.600 Nothing has yet happened.

00:22:37.120 And we're here to tell the true story.

00:22:38.460 We've been here since 10.30 in the morning yesterday, watching everything from that point and that point the whole day.

00:22:45.880 We stood right here watching the barricade as there's a few vehicles were apart.

00:22:52.620 They snuck through and actually the police let them through.

00:22:56.040 It's been a peaceful protest this whole time.

00:22:58.800 So proud of it.

00:23:00.460 But what Jason Kenney said yesterday is not okay.

00:23:03.680 And it's time to answer.

00:23:05.620 It's time to answer.

00:23:07.200 And we just as people want our freedoms back.

00:23:11.060 And we're here to stay until that happens.

00:23:14.640 Chad Williamson, counsel with the truckers.

00:23:16.960 We are on day five of the trucker blockade down at the Coots border crossing.

00:23:20.580 It's an early morning here and there hasn't been a lot of activity.

00:23:22.740 Some enforcement attempts and threats were made yesterday, but I think the logistical issues associated with enforcement on this type of a protest,

00:23:31.020 especially with some peculiar and large pieces of heavy equipment out on the highway,

00:23:35.620 and the sheer volume of them creates an insurmountable issue for law enforcement to actually conduct enforcement operations.

00:23:44.380 Now, I don't think that that's necessarily to say that enforcement is not going to take place.

00:23:48.440 That is what is expected here.

00:23:49.900 But frankly, I don't think that it is helpful for people like Mr. Kenney to be making allegations of assault without having all of the information before jumping to such conclusions.

00:24:01.460 It's my understanding that the RCMP themselves are questioning whether or not that assault happened.

00:24:06.340 And frankly, it is not helpful to be running confusing and aggressive narratives against people without having all of the evidence.

00:24:14.880 We hope that this doesn't help to build bridges of cordiality, which is why we're here to try to de-escalate an already tense situation.

00:24:24.880 So, folks, what is the saddest thing about the never-ending stream of misinformation being generated when it comes to coverage of the Freedom Convoy?

00:24:34.400 Is it the outright lies or is it those who are telling the lies?

00:24:39.520 After all, the patriots can expect to be vilified by those on the left and the mainstream media.

00:24:46.060 But to be falsely maligned by the likes of Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, well, that's another matter altogether.

00:24:53.340 Premier Kenney is allegedly a conservative.

00:24:56.080 And it's a safe bet that the truckers and those who support them tend to vote conservative.

00:25:02.280 So why is Kenney reporting outright falsehoods?

00:25:06.560 And joining me now from Coots, Alberta, is Kian Simone and Sid Fezard.

00:25:11.920 Welcome to Rebel Roundup, gentlemen.

00:25:14.540 Thank you.

00:25:15.060 We really appreciate it.

00:25:15.700 And Kian's just off to the side here. 0.76

00:25:17.220 It's a bit of a tight shot.

00:25:18.220 Hello, hello.

00:25:19.220 Thanks for having us.

00:25:20.060 Great to see you.

00:25:20.940 How are you doing?

00:25:21.780 Doing great, guys.

00:25:22.900 So, Kian and Sid, the question arises, did Premier Kenney make an honest mistake regarding the, you know, ramming incident that never happened?

00:25:32.260 Or is he, for whatever reason, demonizing truckers now, too?

00:25:38.400 Well, when it comes to stuff like that, I don't think there's such a thing as an honest mistake making accusations like that.

00:25:43.820 But maybe Kian would want to fill you in more.

00:25:45.480 He's been talking to some of the guys more closely about that situation.

00:25:49.420 Okay.

00:25:52.720 Hey, so regarding that, yeah, Jason Kenney had that statement out that there was reports received from the RCMP

00:26:00.120 that it was actually an assault on an officer along with the ramming and collision.

00:26:07.720 It actually turned out after I reached out to the RCMP and got a statement from them before they released it

00:26:13.780 that there was, in fact, no assault and the collision was between two civilians.

00:26:19.760 And, in fact, it was they were frustrated with each other and one of them assaulted the other.

00:26:23.780 So there was no officer involved other than trying to keep the peace after.

00:26:27.180 So far, again, we haven't even heard Jason Kenney retract the statement.

00:26:32.660 And as far as honest mistake, the possibility of that being he just was fed wrong information,

00:26:42.300 it still amounts up to the lie of saying it anyway.

00:26:46.600 He's following the steps of Justin Trudeau of propagating propaganda

00:26:50.600 to create a narrative around something that just simply isn't true.

00:26:54.040 Well, I think it is egregious, gentlemen, just because we now know from the RCMP itself it didn't happen.

00:27:02.360 You would think if Premier Kenney was smart, he would immediately issue a retraction and, dare I say it, an apology.

00:27:10.600 But let's move on from that.

00:27:12.360 As we record this, it is Thursday afternoon.

00:27:16.840 This is an ongoing matter, of course.

00:27:19.280 Guys, what is the situation on the ground as of right now?

00:27:26.800 So right now the truckers have opened up all highways and the blockade to the border is all clear.

00:27:34.360 So they are all off to the side.

00:27:36.920 And their intent right now is to have a completely lawful protest.

00:27:40.600 And they want to give a time period for the government to be able to react and respond in a timely manner,

00:27:50.280 because we all know how bureaucracy works.

00:27:52.660 It takes a few days, and the truckers are accommodating to that.

00:27:56.500 They're understanding.

00:27:58.180 But as of yet, they're ready to block that border right back up if need be.

00:28:03.460 But like I said, it's calm here.

00:28:06.780 It's quiet.

00:28:07.740 The truckers are very positive.

00:28:09.740 They're hopeful.

00:28:10.600 They're optimistic.

00:28:12.000 And the energy here is just overall good.

00:28:14.880 And if I could just add one thing to that.

00:28:18.160 So not only is it the guys here that are protesting,

00:28:21.600 obviously these guys are the ones who set up the border blockade,

00:28:24.660 but as well this sparked the mobilization of tractors and heavy machinery of all kinds across Alberta right now.

00:28:31.340 There are multiple highways that are being blocked either entirely or with slow rolls going through them.

00:28:37.200 Action is being happening across Alberta in response to the poor response, I would say,

00:28:43.340 of Jason Kenney and the Alberta government.

00:28:45.480 Wow.

00:28:45.960 And, gentlemen, tell me, are there still negotiations going on between the truckers and their allies and the RCMP,

00:28:53.320 or has that pretty much reached a zenith that there's no more talking anymore?

00:28:59.660 Yeah, communication is tough between them.

00:29:03.020 At times it seems like there's going to be no more communication,

00:29:05.740 but then they do start to talk further.

00:29:08.440 So it's a little fluid in that sense.

00:29:10.500 I don't know if you wanted to add to that.

00:29:11.580 Yeah.

00:29:11.820 Yeah.

00:29:12.500 So regarding the negotiations, to add a point to Sid's point there,

00:29:16.660 all negotiations have been going through Chad Williamson, who is the lawyer defending them.

00:29:21.180 And obviously anybody can help them, can help them get their legal defense at truckerlawyer.ca.

00:29:26.540 And, but yeah, so far, it's in the politicians' hands now.

00:29:30.860 It really is.

00:29:31.840 The RCMP, they clearly do not want to be here anymore.

00:29:36.380 They're mad.

00:29:37.160 They're angry.

00:29:37.820 They're angry at both sides, the government and the truckers.

00:29:40.340 They just want this to end.

00:29:41.260 From yesterday, where we had that breaking news that 30 MLAs were gathering behind Jason Kenney's back

00:29:50.860 to hopefully lift rural mandates in response to the trucker blockade.

00:29:57.220 So the truckers, that's why they opened the border up.

00:29:59.180 But the RCMP is coming by here to check if they're cold, to check if anybody has frostbite,

00:30:05.920 to check if they need a mechanic.

00:30:10.280 That's the only communication that's going on right now, really.

00:30:13.280 But tell me, gentlemen, from a political element or angle, I should say,

00:30:18.620 shed some light for me on what I think is a double standard.

00:30:23.400 Two years ago in our country, we had those rail blockades.

00:30:27.720 Those didn't go on for days like the situation at Coutts.

00:30:31.860 They went on for weeks.

00:30:33.400 And it was a complete paralyzation of rail traffic costing the Canadian economy billions and billions of dollars.

00:30:41.380 It went on for weeks.

00:30:42.760 And it was like, hey, no big deal.

00:30:45.200 And train traffic was completely stymied.

00:30:48.420 As you mentioned earlier, there are two lanes open at the border crossing right now.

00:30:53.900 Why is it that one group of people for one blockade, they have seemingly as much time as they want to do their protests or their demonstration or their blockade?

00:31:08.240 And for these truckers, the moment it's a few days old, there's this urgency to dismantle it.

00:31:17.940 Can you explain this to me, guys?

00:31:21.980 Yeah.

00:31:22.500 Yeah, so I think that the government of Alberta understands that this is not just a local movement or the few surrounding local areas.

00:31:32.060 This is a province-wide, and now it's turning into a—it's a federal issue.

00:31:37.380 What Sid was saying before about how tractors and farmers are mobilizing around, they wanted to nip this in the butt, the government here.

00:31:48.460 And they couldn't.

00:31:49.540 It was a mishandling on their part.

00:31:53.360 But that's why I think they enacted so fast, and they wanted to shut this right down because the second those farmers got angry, they started blocking highways down here.

00:32:02.220 And if that happens up near Calgary or Edmonton, we got a different kind of problem on their hands.

00:32:06.580 And just to add on that, these protesters who are protesting at the trains and blocking that off, well, and this word, this phrase has been thrown around a little bit, the fringe minority.

00:32:18.680 Well, they were—they are quite literally the fringe minority, the people who were doing that.

00:32:22.900 Whereas now we are seeing it is literally the people en masse that are standing up against this.

00:32:29.120 So it's a bit larger of a group, you could say, that's standing up against this.

00:32:33.220 It just happens to be revolving around the same style of protest.

00:32:37.020 Indeed.

00:32:37.780 And guys, if I can ask you to look into your crystal ball in terms of where this goes in the next days, in the next hours for that matter, what do you see happening?

00:32:49.980 Do you see—I know online there are people urging others to come down and join the blockade.

00:32:56.820 Do you see that happening in any kind of critical mass?

00:33:00.900 Or, I mean, it must be very cold, very arduous, very boring for that matter.

00:33:08.680 Do you see some truckers saying, oh, you know what, we've made our point.

00:33:12.180 I want to go home now.

00:33:13.600 How do you think this is going to play out?

00:33:15.120 Well, I certainly wouldn't say it's been boring.

00:33:18.420 It really has been evolving by the hour.

00:33:21.600 And I think looking forward, like, we were at the Milk's—so what is it?

00:33:24.880 The Milk River police barrier that was set up.

00:33:28.620 And there are hundreds and hundreds of trucks and other supporters there lined up, all trying to get in here to Cooch to support these guys and to bring them supplies and other things that they would need.

00:33:38.760 So, yeah, it's kind of—the scope of this is quite overwhelming, and I sort of lost my train of thought there a little bit.

00:33:44.500 But that's because it's been quite a few days here, and really so much is going on.

00:33:49.140 And I think to finish off the point there, what's going to happen next is entirely dependent on how the government acts.

00:33:56.460 These guys here, like we said, they have one lane open north, one lane open south.

00:34:00.300 That was a showing of good faith because they wanted to get the ball rolling on the government end of things to see what they would do.

00:34:05.760 And right now, the government here in Alberta and, I think, well, in Canada, it's in chaos over this because they don't have the manpower, so to speak, to bring an end to this in short order.

00:34:16.860 So they have to kind of find some negotiation resolve there.

00:34:20.900 And that's the big kicker is what are they going to do?

00:34:23.580 Nobody knows.

00:34:24.780 Well, guys, I got to tell you, I'm so happy you're both down there that you are embedded with the convoy.

00:34:31.280 Unlike the state broadcaster to the CBC, which I understand is embedded with law enforcement.

00:34:37.820 So if anything happens, I know we and the world for that matter, they're going to get it straight from you at ground zero.

00:34:47.320 Stay warm, stay safe.

00:34:49.340 And thank you so much for covering this for us, guys.

00:34:54.080 No, absolutely.

00:34:55.580 Godspeed.

00:34:56.180 And this is what we're here for.

00:34:57.560 All right, then.

00:34:59.060 And there you have it.

00:35:00.180 That was Sid Fizard and Kian Simone in Coutts, Alberta.

00:35:05.880 Stay here, folks.

00:35:06.820 More of Rebel Roundup to come right after this.

00:35:14.220 Now, a politically incorrect hockey sweater, by the way, would be that of the Chicago Blackhawks or any other jersey depicting any sort of Indigenous theme.

00:35:24.380 But check out this statement by Toronto's Parks, Forestry and Recreation Department.

00:35:30.860 Quote, to promote a positive and inclusive experience in City of Toronto sports facilities and to protect the dignity and well-being of Indigenous communities, the City of Toronto prohibits the display of Indigenous-themed sports images, logos or team names, except for those used by Indigenous sports organizations.

00:35:56.180 Wow, folks, just when did municipal politicians and bureaucrats reinvent themselves as the cancel culture cops?

00:36:05.640 Aren't they supposed to be focused on, oh, I don't know, picking up the garbage, clearing the streets of snow, etc.?

00:36:12.180 And by the way, an inconvenient question arises with this latest municipal mandate.

00:36:17.920 Are Indigenous people really offended by Native themes, sports logos, nicknames, etc.?

00:36:25.100 Time out for a quick anecdote, folks.

00:36:27.600 I started my journalism career, such as it is, back in 1985 in the northern Alberta town of St. Paul.

00:36:35.960 There are several Native reserves near St. Paul.

00:36:39.200 And the first thing I noticed whenever I visited an arena on reserve territory was that the most prominent hockey sweater by far worn by Indigenous people was, drumroll please, the red, black and white of the Chicago Blackhawks.

00:36:57.860 Keep in mind, this was in the mid-80s, at the very height of the Edmonton Oilers dynasty, and in a region that was just two hours away from Edmonton, yet Natives, with their own moolah, were buying Blackhawk jerseys. 0.98

00:37:12.920 And why wouldn't they?

00:37:15.160 I truly think that the iconic Chicago Blackhawks sweater is the most gorgeous jersey in the entire sports world.

00:37:23.040 Obviously, a preponderance of Indigenous folk feel likewise.

00:37:28.060 But apparently, when it comes to the politically correct palefaces at Toronto City Hall, well, they know best when it comes to allegedly offensive hockey haberdashery.

00:37:39.920 By the way, when I read the city policy statement earlier, did you pick up on a mind-boggling loophole?

00:37:46.240 Namely, it is offside for an individual skater, even a native, to don a Blackhawks jersey at a Toronto rink, but it's perfectly fine for an entire group of natives to play shinny wearing such gear. 0.99

00:38:01.600 So, what's the message here?

00:38:03.640 That a little bit of alleged racism on the ice, well, that's not okay, but a whole lot of alleged racism down at the rink, well, that's perfectly fine.

00:38:14.020 Wow. Say, folks, is there any such thing as a game misconduct for, oh, I don't know, outrageous political overreach?

00:38:22.960 Because if there is, methinks we could easily fill up the sin bin with numerous Toronto politicians and bureaucrats who are now playing offense for team cancel culture.

00:38:34.160 Jeez, when is this woke madness ever going to end?

00:38:38.260 In any event, you had plenty to say about this ludicrous hogtown hockey haberdashery policy.

00:38:46.100 Kelsey Johnson writes,

00:38:48.300 I'm not native, but I would think the Blackhawks jersey is a sign of strength.

00:38:53.460 Why is it negative?

00:38:55.140 Can any Indigenous people out there put a light on this for me?

00:38:58.540 I honestly don't know why this is negative.

00:39:00.980 Well, Kelsey, the truth is that the Chicago Blackhawks name and logo are not negatives at all.

00:39:07.660 Sports teams choose nicknames and logos that convey power, not negativity.

00:39:13.460 This banning of the Chicago Blackhawks jersey at Toronto rinks is just another insane instance of virtue signaling social justice warriors who are trying to make life miserable for the rest of us.

00:39:28.480 Dion St. Michael writes,

00:39:30.180 Thank you for exposing this, David. 1.00

00:39:32.580 The arrogant stupidity is truly staggering. 1.00

00:39:36.140 And thank you, Dion. 1.00

00:39:37.580 There was some mainstream media coverage about this policy.

00:39:41.600 Naturally, our taxpayer funded journalists were cheering on this jersey jihad.

00:39:46.980 I know, shockers.

00:39:49.400 Sam Adam writes,

00:39:50.620 I played for the Willowdale Blackhawks for five years.

00:39:54.180 Never did I ever think or question this was an offensive image.

00:39:58.160 He was a warrior going into battle.

00:40:00.620 And that's what made it so cool.

00:40:03.980 I'm with you, Sam.

00:40:05.120 Look, I'm not a Chicago Blackhawks fan, but I call him as I seize him, which is to say the Blackhawks jersey is a thing of beauty.

00:40:14.220 It would be a crime if the Chicago Blackhawks organization ever capitulated to the cancel culture mob.

00:40:23.060 Gerald Cortez writes,

00:40:25.200 Well, thanks for weighing in, Gerald.

00:40:41.860 And you know something?

00:40:43.360 I've met many Indigenous people who have expressed outrage when Native-themed nicknames and logos are eradicated.

00:40:51.860 So if the majority of Natives are not offended by these names and logos, and polls confirm this, 0.95

00:40:59.700 then who, pray tell, is really offended? 0.92

00:41:02.760 A bunch of pompous nitwits down at City Hall?

00:41:05.500 And another thing, aren't there far more important issues to address when it comes to the Indigenous community?

00:41:12.220 Which is to say, how does banning an allegedly offensive logo improve anything for those living on reserves

00:41:20.040 who are still having to deal with undrinkable tap water?

00:41:24.480 That, my friend, is a true outrage.

00:41:27.720 Jeff Taylor writes,

00:41:29.580 My grandparents would shed tears if they were alive these days, seeing what has happened to the country of Canada.

00:41:36.400 Oh, I hear you, Jeff.

00:41:37.460 And if my grandparents were alive today, they would either think they were residing in an alternative universe,

00:41:44.680 or perhaps maybe the twilight zone.

00:41:47.820 Just a note, folks, I think I read just about every comment pertaining to my rant, and I was shocked.

00:41:54.240 I could not find a single contrarian response.

00:41:57.240 It looked like 100% of you were against the City of Toronto policy.

00:42:02.140 But alas, just before airtime, this comment came in from Zach He-Him.

00:42:08.100 And Zach He-Him writes, 0.98

00:42:10.040 Bro, shut the F up. 0.91

00:42:12.080 The Blackhawks logo needed to go decades ago. 0.99

00:42:15.620 Really, Zach?

00:42:16.440 And how should we rebrand the Windy City's NHL team?

00:42:20.580 Oh, how about this?

00:42:21.740 Why don't we call the Blackhawks the Chicago He-Hims? 0.99

00:42:25.180 And the logo will be, oh, I don't know, how about a multicolored spirit unicorn?

00:42:30.660 Admit it, Zach He-Him. 0.99

00:42:32.420 I bet you'd love to don a jersey like that, wouldn't you?

00:42:36.500 Well, that wraps up another edition of Rebel Roundup.

00:42:39.200 Thanks so much for joining us.

00:42:41.000 See you next week.

00:42:41.900 And hey, folks, never forget, without risk, there can be no glory.

00:42:46.320 Good night.

00:42:46.780 Good night.

00:42:46.820 Good night.

Rebel News Podcast - February 05, 2022

DAVID MENZIES ｜ Canadian truckers from Ottawa to Coutts, Alberta

Episode Stats

Summary

Transcript