00:00:00.000Rishi Nagar, news director and host for Calgary's Red FM 106.7, addressed the media on Tuesday for
00:00:06.500the first time since being assaulted by two men on the streets of Calgary over his reporting
00:00:10.740on extortion and crime. I was at the media event, where Nagar described the attack as one on
00:00:15.960the freedom of the press and the integrity of journalism. I'm Isaac Lamoureux, your host of
00:00:21.400the Alberta Roundup. To this point, I've been tracking which week this was hosting the show,
00:00:36.420but I've already lost track. I'm pretty sure we're at the one month mark, so it seems as good a time
00:00:41.100as any to stop tracking. I'll have to think of another way to introduce the show. Maybe something
00:00:47.640like, welcome back to the Alberta Roundup, the one and only show you need to keep up to date
00:00:53.260on the province's happenings. Perhaps if I'd been in the business since 1999 like Rishi Nagar,
00:00:59.040I'd have established a good introduction by now, but let's just jump back into that story.
00:01:03.540The assault on Rishi Nagar, which occurred on Sunday, is believed to be connected to his reporting
00:01:08.380on extortion and criminal activity within the South Asian community. However, he said he did
00:01:13.560not believe the attack to be politicized because Canadians have freedom of speech, press, and
00:01:19.040expression. Nagar addressed the media on Tuesday with a bandage wrapped around half of his face
00:01:24.000covering his eye. He said he hoped not to be seen as a victim, but as a voice for the integrity and
00:01:29.640necessity of journalism. These injuries are for sure painful, but what wounds me more deeply is the
00:01:35.240intent behind this assault, said Nagar. A clear attack on journalism and on the free press. This was not a
00:01:42.120personal attack on me alone. This was an assault on the very principles that bind us as a free and
00:01:47.520democratic society. The journalist, who as I mentioned has been in the business since 1999,
00:01:52.580said he has spent most of his career reporting on the extortions and criminal activities affecting
00:01:57.340South Asian communities, which he added continued to grow. He said, quote, I want to make one thing
00:02:03.260abundantly clear. I will not be silenced. These cowardly actions will not deter me or my colleagues from
00:02:09.140continuing our work, nor will they dissuade the press from reporting on matters of public interest.
00:02:14.680They can break my eye. They cannot break my resolve. Journalism is the cornerstone of a free society,
00:02:21.100and without it, corruption, crime, and injustice would go unchecked. Nagar revealed that the doctors
00:02:26.500told him he risks retinal detachment and coroidal rupture in his eye because there is so much blood
00:02:32.440inside of it. He said he'll get a further update on October 8th. He was attending a political event at a
00:02:37.660banquet hall when he stepped outside to take a phone call. Two men, quote, sneakily followed him
00:02:43.060and eventually approached him for a brief conversation where they complained about his
00:02:46.900past reporting alleging that it was untrue. He knew one of the men and at no point expected to be
00:02:51.300attacked. However, the other man allegedly attacked him and continued doing so when he fell to the
00:02:56.240ground. Eventually, two other random pedestrians pulled over to care for Nagar. They helped him come
00:03:01.020to his senses and call the police. I thank God that the attackers fled like cowards, further strengthening
00:03:06.300my resolve, Nagar wrote in a Facebook post shortly after the attack. I am especially thankful to Mr.
00:03:12.600Burhan Khan, who came to my aid and rescue at that moment. He said that he is not the first person and
00:03:18.860will not be the last to face intimidation and violence. Let this unfortunate incident serve as
00:03:23.980a reminder of the risks many journalists face daily, especially those who dare to speak out against
00:03:28.980extortions, organized crime, corruption, and injustice. Let it also be a call to action for greater
00:03:34.500protection of free press, not just here, but around the world, said Nagar. I remain committed to my work and to the
00:03:40.440principles of truth, justice, and transparency. No act of violence can change that. Journalism will prevail and the
00:03:46.380truth will continue to be told. Now hopping into a Danielle Smith story. So hopping into the next story here,
00:03:52.480Premier Danielle Smith has been taking some heat for some recent comments she made on chemtrails at a recent UCP event
00:03:58.800when she was asked about it. The best I have been able to do is talk to the woman who is responsible for controlling the airspace.
00:04:06.880And she says no one is allowed to go up and spray anything in the air. We have a, oh, she's told me, the other person told me that if
00:04:14.640anyone is doing it, it's the US Department of Defense. And, you know, like I have some limitations in what I can do in my job. I don't know that I would have much power if that is the case, if the US Department of Defense
00:04:25.800says frankness. So I will do what I can to investigate. But everywhere I have gone, I have found no evidence that there's any private sector company involved. My
00:04:36.280environment department is involved. My airports tell me that they have a record of every single plane that goes up. So I'm kind of dead-ended here.
00:04:46.600If you have some special leave that you want to give me afterwards, please let me know and I'll track it down.
00:04:51.100Smith has been criticized by some left-wing ministers and Canadians for the very reason so many people love her, which is that she kept it real.
00:05:00.440Personally, I don't know that the Premier should have commented on such a controversial topic, but frankly, I can't find myself too angry with her for, as I mentioned, keeping it real.
00:05:10.520Some Liberal ministers felt differently. One of them was Employment Minister Randy Boissonneau, who might have relished at the opportunity to deflect some heat
00:05:18.820after allegations of conflict of interest and the other Randy scandal against him.
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