Jeremy Mackenzie attacks Rachel Gilmore (language warning)
5 Comments
Interviewing Mayor John Tory about lockdown protesters. Homeless problem in Toronto
3 Comments
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcufc9sXS14&ab_channel=CHCHNews
Protest at Oakville Trafalgar High School September 23, 2022
336 Comments
https://globalnews.ca/news/8989888/diagolon-explainer-jeremy-mackenzie-pierre-poilievre/
Diagolon: What to know about the group whose founder shook Pierre Poilievre’s hand
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KVVF059swE&ab_channel=GlobalNews
Word “freedom” becomes rally cry co-opted by far-right, experts say
345 Comments
Conservative leadership front-runner Pierre Poilievre came under fire this past weekend after an image of him shaking hands with Jeremy Mackenzie, the founder of a group known as “Diagolon,” emerged.
Shortly after the image surfaced on Mackenzie’s public Telegram channel, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called on Poilievre to “denounce Jeremy Mackenzie and Diagolon,” who he said are “designated as violent extremists by Canada’s Integrated Terrorism Assessment Centre.”
Singh was referring to a report from Press Progress, which last week published a document it obtained through access-to-information from the Integrated Terrorism Assessment Centre, a federal organization that assesses threats of terrorism to Canada.
The document, dated Feb. 17, 2022, classifies Mackenzie as one of the “key anti-government IMVE (ideologically motivated violent extremism) adherents” that attended the so-called “freedom convoy” protests in Ottawa earlier this year.
The Canadian government has not expressed formal concern about Diagolon nor does it list the group as a terrorist entity.
“Over the course of my campaign I have shaken hands with literally tens of thousands of people at public rallies. It is impossible to do a background check on every single person who attends my events,” Poilievre’s campaign team said in response to Global News’ request for comment on Aug. 20.
“As I always have, I denounce racism and anyone who spreads it. I didn’t and don’t know or recognize this particular individual.”
So who is Mackenzie — and what is Diagolon? Here’s what you need to know.
Diagolon: Meme country or extremist threat?
A drug-addled demonic goat named Phillip. A fictional diagonal country running from Alaska to Florida. An alleged plot to kill RCMP officers in Coutts, Alta.
There’s a common thread uniting these topics: they’re all, in some way, tied to Diagolon.
Founders of the group say it’s all one big joke, a meme, and they’re just a group of anti-establishment comedians. The demonic goat and fictional country were the product of “several edibles,” to hear Diagolon founder Jeremy Mackenzie tell it.
His telegram channel has more than 13,000 members, and he has at least 10,000 subscribers on YouTube.
But after a patch bearing the group’s insignia was found alongside weapons seized by the RCMP near the border in Coutts in February, some extremism experts say they are concerned about what the multi-hour livestreams could inspire their viewers to do.
“It’s not just an innocent podcast. It’s not just irony,” said Amarnath Amarasingam, an assistant professor at Queen’s University and expert on extremism.
These podcasters are giving their viewers a new “lens” through which to interpret their struggles, he said – one that paints government as the villain and societal collapse as inevitable.
“The louder that gets, the more people that message resonates with, then you automatically create the potential for one or two of them doing something about it.”
In a statement sent to Global News, Mackenzie rejected any suggestion that his livestreams could incite violence or aggression.
The goal of his podcast, Mackenzie said, is to “make people laugh and alleviate their stress, build a sense of community to combat the social and spiritual isolation prevalent through society, make it abundantly clear that these incredibly wealthy and powerful folks pushing the buttons in our home are not to be blindly trusted without a thought.”
How did Diagolon start?
It all started with a single livestream.
Mackenzie said he was “pretty ripped on edibles” one night in 2020. That’s when the 36-year-old military veteran realized the states without COVID-19 mandates, when highlighted, formed a diagonal line across the North American continent.
“I was like, ‘It’s going to end up, this is where all the sane people live.’ The rest will go crazy, California will probably sink into the sea, New York will explode, and everyone will just kind of live in this line,” he told a fellow podcaster on a livestream on July 7.
The joke became more and more elaborate. The livestream dubbed the series of states and provinces the “Empire of Diagolon,” Mackenzie said.
In reality, Mackenzie said Diagolon is a “cultural clique.”
“There is a community. It’s like a fan club of a podcast, essentially. That’s really all it is — and it’s just like-minded people,” he said.
The streams regularly express their deep distrust in political institutions, hinting at a societal collapse they believe the political elite has Canada careening towards.
The Canadian government has not expressed formal concern about Diagolon, though Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino did refer to “a far-right extreme organization” in relation to the blockade in Coutts.
“Several of the individuals at Coutts have strong ties to a far-right extreme organization with leaders who are in Ottawa,” he said at the time.
He did not name the organization.
Diagolon is not listed as a terrorist entity according to Canada’s Anti-Terrorism Act — and according to Amarasingam, it doesn’t fit that definition.
He said the danger with Diagolon, rather, lies with how its viewers might internalize the cynical worldview Mackenzie and other affiliated broadcasters present.
“I don’t get the sense that they know what they want to do next…. There’s this kind of constant revelling in the grievance itself. But there’s no real ask,” Amarasingam said.
“That’s not to say particular individuals and this movement won’t take it upon themselves to do it — as we (allegedly) saw in Coutts.”
As anti-COVID-19-mandate demonstrations paralyzed the border at Coutts in February, the RCMP said they became aware of a small, organized group at the protest that had “a willingness to use force against the police.”
In a subsequent raid, Mounties uncovered 13 long guns, handguns, a machete, a large quantity of ammunition and body armour. They also found two tactical vests — adorned with what Canadian Anti-Hate Network researchers believe were Diagolon patches.
A 2023 trial date was set for the four accused in this raid July 11.
Mackenzie denies that the patches are affiliated with his group. A post on a website dedicated to Diagolon suggests the patches are fake and being “used to frame community members.”
Meanwhile, the Diagolon founder has said in livestreams that he’s “not doing anything.” He’s just “commenting” on the “destructive” behaviour of others — including those in positions of power.
“I’m just pointing it out because I don’t know what else to do,” he said. “And if enough people see it, maybe something will happen.”
Jeremy Mackenzie, leader of the controversial Diagolon movement, arrested on Canada-wide warrant
His partner says he is a 'teddy bear' who has been misunderstood
Saskatchewan RCMP have confirmed that Jeremy Mackenzie, the leader of the controversial Diagolon movement, was arrested on a Canada-wide warrant on Wednesday.
According to Mackenzie's partner, Morgan May Guptill, he was detained at their Cole Harbour home by the Halifax Regional Police late Wednesday afternoon.
May said she and Mackenzie had noticed earlier in the day when reviewing their surveillance footage that police had stopped by their home.
"So we had called them and they made us aware that there was a warrant," May told CBC in a phone interview.
She said she and Mackenzie "waited in the driveway for them and co-operated."
Morgan Guptill says she and Jeremy are misunderstood and haven't broken any laws. (Katie Fraser/Facebook)
Mackenzie was arrested by members of the RCMP and Halifax Regional Police on charges that had been laid months ago.
On July 18, Saskatchewan RCMP charged the 36-year-old with assault, pointing a firearm, use of a restricted weapon in a careless manner and mischief during an incident near Viscount, Sask., in November. There's no word yet on a court date.
Militia or trolling?
Mackenzie is a prolific podcaster and the leader of an online group known as Diagolon. A June 2022 House of Commons report identified the organization as an ideologically motivated violent extremist organization.
"It's made up of former members of the Canadian Forces, individuals with real combat training, with real capabilities and who have grown increasingly radicalized, especially because of COVID," the report says, quoting Mubin Shaikh, a professor of public safety at Seneca College.
The report notes there are connections between Diagolon and extremists who were arrested at the Coutts, Alta., border crossing during the February convoy protest. It said those extremists "were ready to engage police in a firefight."
Members of Diagolon have been tied to the convoy protests and two Diagolon patches were found on body armour seized during the execution of RCMP search warrants at Coutts.
Mackenzie and his followers have scoffed at the suggestion this group is some sort of American-style militia group, arguing they are simply trolling a gullible media.
In reference to a photo of Mackenzie and others posing with guns, Guptill explained it's all a ruse.
"He knows you guys will fall for it and you'll post it and look ridiculous," she said, explaining that the purpose is "to make people understand that reporters have no idea. They don't do the research. They don't actually know what they're talking about. They'll take anything and run with it."
Jeremy Mackenzie, crouching left, poses with other Diagolon members during a 2021 "shooting party" in rural Saskatchewan. (Submitted to CBC)
Rape threat or joke?
Jeremy Mackenzie also claimed to be joking earlier this week when it came to light that he had suggested on his podcast that he wanted to rape Anaida Poilievre, the wife of Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre.
One of the other men on the podcast asked him if he would be talking about raping a woman if his partner Morgan was around. He said he would and indicated she would want to join in.
Morgan Guptill said those comments were completely inappropriate.
"I had hoped Jeremy would have time to put out a video to apologize for putting words in my mouth — things that I obviously had never said and would never say as a sexual assault victim myself," she told CBC.
In a statement, Poilievre condemned Mackenzie's statement as "disgusting," referring to Mackenzie and his fellow podcasters as "dirtbags" and "losers." The RCMP confirmed Monday that it is looking into this alleged threat.
In a post on the instant messaging service Telegram, Mackenzie wrote "It's unfortunate as leader of the opposition that he's chosen to focus his attention on such trivial matters like small time podcast comedians making jokes."
Guptill told CBC, "I believe him when he says that he was joking but at the end of the day considering all of the court cases we have on the go it's quite a serious thing to say in my opinion."
Other cases on the horizon
In March, Mackenzie and Guptill were charged with mischief, criminal harassment and intimidation of a health professional during an anti-mask protest at the home of Nova Scotia's Chief Medical Officer of Health Robert Strang.
Jeremy Mackenzie features this image as part of his podcast set. (Morgan Guptill/Facebook)
Then, in June, Mackenzie was charged with 13 firearms-related offences, including three counts of careless use of a firearm and three of unauthorized possession of a firearm. The RCMP said officers discovered five restricted guns, prohibited ammunition magazines, ammunition and body armour.
And last Friday, Guptill was arrested and jailed for allegedly failing to pay $69.10 for fuel at a local gas station.
Guptill told CBC that in all of these cases, she and Mackenzie have been unfairly targeted.
"We feel like this is quite an overreach and that we are being targeted by the police for speaking out against them," she said, referring to their social media channels and podcasts, where they are relentless critics of mainstream political parties, media organizations and government institutions.
She said the goal is to "ruin our reputation because they know that we have such a large audience." Mackenzie has more than 14,000 followers on his Telegram channel.
She said she and Mackenzie are misunderstood.
Fundamentally, she says, they are all about giving hope by "building communities of like-minded people so they don't feel alone throughout potential future lockdowns or food shortages or war or whatever is coming."
She said the focus on Mackenzie as some sort of dangerous leader is also misguided.
"He's a teddy bear," she said. "He talks big though."
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/poilievre-threats-mackenzie-1.6595730
RCMP investigating rape threat against Pierre Poilievre's wife
Far-right activist Jeremy MacKenzie made the comments in an online stream
Pierre Poilievre’s wife targeted with rape threat by far-right activist
Warning: This story contains sexually graphic details that may be disturbing to readers
The RCMP confirmed Monday that it is looking into a threat of sexual violence directed at Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's wife, Anaida Poilievre.
Poilievre denounced the threat from far-right political commentator Jeremy MacKenzie and said his office contacted law enforcement about the matter.
An RCMP spokesperson told CBC News Monday that it's looking into the report.
"We can confirm that the matter has been referred to the RCMP and we are reviewing the information provided," they said in an email.
"Only in the event that criminal charges are laid would the RCMP be in a position to confirm the nature of the complaint or any individuals allegedly involved."
Jeremy MacKenzie, the leader of the Canadian far-right group Diagolon, made the threats over the weekend in a stream on the social media app Telegram while speaking with a guest, Alex Vriend.
"Let's rape her," MacKenzie said. "It's not really a sex thing. It's like we just want to show people that we can do things to you if we want to. It's a power move."
MacKenzie made several racist and derogatory remarks about Anaida Poilievre's Venezuelan background in the stream.
Anaida Poilievre was born in Venezuela and grew up in Montreal. Pierre and Anaida married in 2017 and have two children. Pierre Poilievre was elected Conservative leader earlier this month and Anaida Poilievre works as a political staffer on Parliament Hill.
In a statement posted to Twitter Monday, Poilievre said his office has contacted the RCMP about the comments.
"My office has referred these comments to the RCMP to assess whether criminal charges should be laid," he said in the statement.
Jenni Byrne, the head of Poilievre's transition team, told CBC News she called the RCMP on Saturday after she was made aware of the threat. Byrne said she would be meeting with the Mounties to discuss the situation.
"These men are dirtbags," Poilievre said in the statement. "Frankly, like most Canadians, until about a month ago I had never heard of Diagolon and these losers. They are all odious.
"This kind of garbage has no place in Canada. No one should face this abuse.
"People can attack my politics, they can call me names, they can protest my ideas and what I stand for. But threatening my wife and family is appalling and I will not tolerate it. Leave my family alone."
In an interview with The Canadian Press, MacKenzie said he was drinking when he made the comments and meant no harm by them.
Politicians, journalists and other public figures — especially women and people of colour — have been facing an increase in acts of harassment and threats in recent months.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denounced threats and hatred in response to a reporter's question Monday. He didn't mention Poilievre specifically.
"No one should ever be subject to threats of violence or the kind of hatred that we've seen increasingly in the public discourse, in the public sphere," Trudeau told a news conference.
"It's important that we all stand up and condemn that, and we all look for ways to ensure that everyone feels safe in this country."
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh also denounced the threat.
"No one should be threatened with sexual violence. Not journalists, not politicians, not anyone's family, not anyone," Singh said in a tweet Monday.
He called on political leaders to work at stopping violent extremism.
"The rise of violent extremism in Canada should be a concern for all leaders. If there's political will, we can do something to stop it," he said.
Mark Gerretsen, a Liberal member of Parliament representing Kingston and the Islands, tweeted Monday that he also received a sexual assault threat directed at his wife. He posted the message in his tweet and said both Kingston Police and the Parliamentary Protective Service have opened files on it.
"I 100% agree with Pierre Poilievre on this," Gerrettsen said in the tweet. "Attack me all you want. Leave our families out of this."
Who is Jeremy MacKenzie?
MacKenzie, who is 36, has attracted attention for his support of the anti-vaccine mandate convoy protest which occupied Ottawa earlier this year, and for his leadership of far-right group Diagolon.
A spokesperson for the Department of National Defence told CBC in an email that MacKenzie served in the Canadian Armed Forces. They said MacKenzie enrolled in 2003 and released in 2017, adding he was an infantryman with the Royal Canadian Regiment and that he had one deployment to Afghanistan.
An Instagram account bearing MacKenzie's name describes him as a "Sub-Standard podcaster, Sit-down comedian Super Villain, Sardonic Emperor of Diagolon, Very Scary."
The Saskatchewan RCMP charged MacKenzie in July with assault, pointing a firearm, using a restricted weapon in a careless manner and mischief. Nova Scotia RCMP charged MacKenzie with 13 gun-related charges in June.
Barbara Perry, director of the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism at Ontario Tech University, said that Diagolon aims to establish a "white ethnonationalist state" which would run diagonally from the Pacific Northwest through Canada to Florida.
Perry said her group started to look into Diagolon after police in Coutts, Alta., found the group's patch on body armour while executing a search warrant. Two men arrested in relation to border blockades in Coutts in February have ties to MacKenzie and Diagolon.
Barbara Perry, director of the Centre for Hate, Bias and Extremism at Ontario Tech University, said Diagolon aims to establish a "white ethnonationalist state" stretching from the Pacific Northwest to Florida. (CBC)
"So the idea is ... to accelerate some form of civil war," Perry said. "[MacKenzie] feels, and some of his followers believe, that we are already in the midst of a racial war in which white men, in particular, are losing, so it's time for them to stand up and fight back.
"So they would like to 'accelerate' that civil war, if you will, and replace the current order with this white ethnonationalist state."
Perry said that while Diagolon lacks concrete plans, the group's narrative is violent and aggressive — and may inspire violence.
"The narratives themselves are dangerous because of the potential consequences," she said.
Perry said that MacKenzie may have seen Anaida Poilievre's ethnicity and gender, as well the fact that she has children with Pierre, as an opportunity to highlight his racist, misogynist narrative.
Poilievre shook hands with MacKenzie at an event in August. In a statement issued to Global News, he denied knowing MacKenzie.
"My campaign events are public. There is no registration and anyone can walk in ... It is impossible to do a background check on every single person who attends my events," Poilievre said in the statement. "As I always have, I denounce racism and anyone who spreads it."
Perry said MacKenzie also may have threatened Poilievre because of Poilievre's new status as leader of the opposition.
"So now, to the extent that Poilievre is the leader of a primary political party in Canada, he is now part of the machinery. He is, because of that leadership role, part of the state to which [Diagolon is] so opposed," Perry said.
With files from CBC's Hannah Thibedeau and David Fraser of The Canadian Press
https://globalnews.ca/news/9155887/pierre-poilievre-denounces-abuse-against-wife/
Poilievre denounces ‘abuse’ against wife allegedly from Diagolon founder who shook his hand
In a statement posted on Twitter Monday morning, Poilievre said he had been made aware of “disgusting comments made by Jeremy McKenzie and another man, where they discuss sexually assaulting my wife.”
He called the men “odious” and “losers,” and added he has reported the comments to police.
In the video, a social media account of “Jeremy Mackenzie” can be seen lighting up as the speaker before a man can be heard talking about Anaida Poilievre as he and co-hosts debate her ethnic background, before he goes on to say: “let’s rape her.”
“It’s not really a sex thing, we just want to show people we can do things to you if we want to,” he adds.
Global News attempted to contact Mackenzie on Monday about the threats allegedly made against Anaida Poilievre. No response has yet been received.
The Canadian Press reported Monday afternoon that in an interview with Mackenzie, he said he was drinking when he made the comments and nobody meant any harm by it.
Poilievre said in his statement that he had not known about Diagolon until “about a month ago.”
Global News sent a list of questions to Poilievre’s Conservative leadership campaign back in July, shortly after he attended an anti-COVID public health measures march with a man called James Topp, who had previously appeared on an episode of Mackenzie’s podcast in January in which the latter described wanting to “bring down the government.”
Co-hosts of that episode also described wanting “to assemble the gallows on f—ing Parliament.”
When asked if Poilievre was concerned that supporting figures like Topp who have appeared on Mackenzie’s podcast could be interpreted as support for far-right views, and whether he would denounce comments by Mackenzie’s co-host about wanting to see a gallows on Parliament Hill, Poilievre attacked Global News.
His campaign posted a 238-word statement accusing Global News of being “unprofessional” and attempting to set “disingenuous traps.”
“Your tactic seems to be to demand Mr. Poilievre answer for all the words and deeds of not just everyone he has ever met, but also everyone they have ever met,” his campaign said. “Each of those people is individually responsible for their own words and deeds.”
Poilievre faced questions last month after a photo circulated online showing him shaking Mackenzie’s hand at a campaign event in Nova Scotia. A spokesperson for Poilievre said on Aug. 20 that he has “shaken hands with literally tens of thousands of people at public rallies.”
“It is impossible to do a background check on every single person who attends my events,” Poilievre’s campaign team said in response to Global News’ request for comment on Aug. 20.
“I didn’t and don’t know or recognize this particular individual.”
Over recent weeks, an ongoing torrent of abuse, threats and hate against the journalist in question and other female Canadian journalists covering the far-right has continued to escalate, including from supporters of Diagolon and Mackenzie himself.
“You deserve worse and with the trajectory you’re on, you’ll get it,” Mackenzie tweeted on Aug. 12 about the onslaught of threats against female journalists covering the far-right.
He also urged his thousands of followers: “Hate them as hard as you can.”
His account was suspended shortly after and remains so.
Diagolon took on additional prominence during the convoy blockades earlier this year, particularly the blockade in Coutts, Alta. RCMP said at the time they had become aware of a small, organized group that had “a willingness to use force against the police.”
In a subsequent raid, Mounties uncovered 13 long guns, handguns, a machete, a large quantity of ammunition and body armour. They also found two tactical vests — adorned with what Canadian Anti-Hate Network researchers believe were Diagolon patches.
Mackenzie has denied the patches are affiliated with his group.
Global News obtained the City of Ottawa permit application for the march Poilievre attended alongside Topp last month. Listed as the “primary event contact” on the form was Stephanie McEvoy, a woman who described herself online in social media posts as “pro-ProudBoy.”
The Proud Boys are a listed terrorist entity in Canada.
Poilievre’s campaign did not respond to questions at the time asking if he knew McEvoy was involved.
Topp’s lawyer has served Global News with a complaint about a previous Global News article and indicated that any statement suggesting Topp is a “a member of the far-right” or an “extremist” is false and defamatory.
With files from Global News’ Rachel Gilmore.
News Now Canada Independent Media
Independent Photojournalist
My name is Donald Smith i am Independent Photojournalist i have been on the front lines covering events tracking the pm plus been arrested for free speech even found guilty for free speech,
In this world of Hell where people attack you for free speech is a joke.
I have exposed mass corruption in police dept. like Vancouver police where they falsely charged me for filming on a public side walk
what made me become Independent Photojournalist because of the problems happening in the world.
I don’t like the fake news because there a joke what the do to people
unlike the mainstream media , NNCIM doesn’t take Justin Trudeau’s
million dollars of media bailout , your donation are needed to keep me
reporting , only with your donations the truth can reach out to more
people.
via Paypal ➜ http://paypal.me/donaldphotography30/
Or you can send an e-transfer to smithdonald2019322@gmail.com
If you have news tip email me newsnowcanadaindependentmedia1@outlook.com
One thought on “Far Left taking to twitter about Jeremy arrest when the far left want to defund the cops”
Breaking News Morgan May is being let out of custody In the next hour
Update morgan is out of jail
Update from Dartmouth Morgan has been released from custody and trying to get word if she has bail condition’s But the left wing nuts are having a mental health breakdown that Morgan is out of jail allegedly caught stealing gas
There you have it people Morgan may freedom fighter is being released from custody In the next hour for allegedly caught stealing gas But you are Antifa sex offender we can give you bail and more
Fake news will spin the story and lie about it which they will thats how they work
I will have more Info when get it
Donald Smith
Independent Photojournalist
News Now Canada Independent Media
Morgan May having a bail hearing this morning for stealing gas
I am going to say this for the record I do not support rape jokes or support people that raping other people when there is a video online from a person i know supports raping people i don’t support it
Finding out a person is in Jail on false charges for stealing Gas is having a bail hearing right now, I did call the Dartmouth court finding out Morgan have 5 to 6 charges on her and i know they are false when the media lies about it
I have done a story on Morgan in the past where she was held in solitary confinement 4 days without a shower and would not let her use any female stuff
Our court system is a joke we have left wing nuts in Judges pants oh this person hurt me i need to you jail this person for hurting my feelings
well i will have more coming when i hear it
Donald Smith
Independent Photojournalist
News Now Canada Independent Media
Nova scotia Justice system kidnaps Morgan may a innocent person and holds her on BS CHARGES but you rape a kid oh bail time
I am sorry people i made the corrrection on my error for what i wrote
very shocking when the Nova scotia Justice system Kidnaps innocent person for allegedly stealing gas that’s what i am hearing is a joke when you have child pedos and left wing nuts out there smashing up people even assaulting people then get bail or let go
Our country is in Trouble and its runned by left wing nuts who lie get the courts to false charges on ya for anything hold ya when i had to happen to me
There are dark days coming some are good and some are bad its time for people to stand up to the justice system about this crap
Nova scotia Justice system is a joke where they holding someone for stealing gas which i know its false but rape a kid red carpet on bail speak about the Govt they will Jail your ass for anything
Morgan has been falsely charged in the past and held in solitary confinement 4 days without a shower and would not let her use any female stuff
I have reached out to the Rcmp for a comment and they have not emailed me back yet
But holding someone for stealing gas is a joke.
I did call the jail oh they didnt like me calling them all and the recording his on my twitter account
Comment and tell me what you think
Nova scotia Rcmp Arrest Morgan May on False charges for stealing gas
It’s now been days and still have not been given any information on @MorganMay4Freedom or heard from her at all. No one has.
In Canada, when the state doesn’t like you – they can invent fraudulent, ludicrously petty charges like “stealing gas”, put a warrant out for you, take you in handcuffs, put you in prison to await a bail hearing from a judge, for what would amount to be roughly $50. Which didn’t even happen.
She missed her grandfather’s funeral because of this, by the way. The state also prevented her from burying her own father in 2020 “because coronu” and she’s unvaccinated. Ew!
Morgan is being punished as a political prisoner. Maybe they’ll charge her with mischief and keep her for 6 months as a danger to society?
Morgan is the most beautiful soul I’ve ever known and it’s heartbreaking to see her treated like this.
Nova Scotia and Canada proper is dreadfully corrupt. Please share her story around, I’m banned from most things. Will update when I hear anything.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4HUQB3decw&ab_channel=NewsNowCanadaIndependentMedia
CBC fake news does a slander story on me/ Kevin J Johnston clears the airwaves for me
1 Comment
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/judge-contempt-covid-johnston-donald-smith-photos-1.6119390
Toronto man charged after posting photo of Alberta judge taken during court hearing for COVID-19 rule breakers
Donald Smith admitted to posting the photos online and apologized to the judge on Tuesday
This is the second-known breach of judges' privacy in as many weeks. It follows news earlier this month that former Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms president John Carpay, who is now on indefinite leave, hired a private investigator to follow Manitoba Chief Justice Glenn Joyal — who is presiding over a court challenge related to the province's lockdown measures — to his home and cottage.
Court of Queen's Bench Justice Adam Germain has been tasked with handling all Alberta pandemic-related breaches of judges' orders. The aim is to control repeat offenders who refused to abide by public health restrictions and encouraged others to follow along.
Donald Smith, an anti-mask, pandemic-denying supporter of Calgary mayoral candidate Kevin J. Johnston, admitted in court Tuesday that he took pictures of Germain as well as Alberta Health Services (AHS) lawyer Mark Jackson.
He was charged with contempt of court.
Smith calls judge 'crooked'
The images were screen grabbed during virtual court hearings hosted on WebEx, video-conferencing software similar to Zoom. At the beginning of all hearings, Germain issued warnings that no images or recordings were to be captured during the court sessions.
"Crooked #LiberalCalgaryJudge/Former MLA making is decision on Calgary mayoral candidate Kevin J. Johnston on Friday to see if Kevin gets out of jail," wrote Smith on June 28.
"I know posting this picture of the judge can land me in hot water but I really do not care because its time to expose these crooked judges for what there doing."
The contempt charges are for both taking and posting the photos and for allegedly recording the proceedings and posting non-certified transcriptions.
Smith, who was present for Tuesday's WebEx hearing, apologized for his conduct.
"It will never, never, never happen again, and you've got my word on that," he said.
"I'm terribly sorry. What I did was wrong, it will never happen again."
Jail time possible, warns judge
Smith said he would be willing to pay a fine, but Germain warned him he could be looking at jail time and encouraged the Ontario man to hire a lawyer.
Germain also noted that changes had been made to WebEx video court hearings, calling them the "Donald Smith security enhancements."
Smith is described as an "associate" of disgraced Calgary mayoral candidate Kevin J. Johnston, who earlier this month pleaded guilty to criminal harassment of an AHS employee.
Johnston posted the woman's family photos on his social media channels along with threatening messages.
Contempt sentences delayed
Johnston was also convicted of causing a disturbance at the Core shopping centre in Calgary when he became belligerent with employees after being asked to wear a mask.
Johnston is being sued by AHS and also faces criminal charges in B.C. and Ontario.
In 2019, an Ontario judge issued a ruling in a libel suit filed against Johnston, calling his behaviours a "loathsome example of hate speech at its worst, targeting people solely because of their religion," after he made Islamophobic comments against a Muslim man.
Court was in session Tuesday to deal with sentencing submissions for Johnston, pastor Art Pawlowski and his brother Dawid, as well as Whistle Stop Cafe owner Christopher Scott, found guilty of contempt for breaking various orders related to promoting gatherings against public health restrictions.
Lawyers for all of the men asked for adjournments and will now make submissions next month.
AHS has indicated it plans to seek jail sentences and recovery of costs.
Corrections
- An earlier version of this story said it was Justice Centre lawyers who had followed Manitoba's chief justice, when in fact it was private investigators who had been hired by the centre's then-president.Jul 28, 2021 8:39 PM MT
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/judge-contempt-covid-donald-smith-photos-1.6146311
Ontario man fined $2,500 for posting photos of Alberta judge taken at hearing for COVID-19 rule breakers
Donald Smith took screenshots during hearing for controversial Calgary mayoral candidate Kevin J. Johnston
"It kind of sucks that I have to pay … but I take full responsibility for my actions," said Donald Smith, who attended the virtual court hearing from Toronto, where he now lives.
Smith posted photos of Court of Queen's Bench Justice Adam Germain and Alberta Health Services lawyer Mark Jackson.
He posted the images to social media and described Germain as "crooked."
"Crooked #LiberalCalgaryJudge/Former MLA making is decision on Calgary mayoral candidate Kevin J. Johnston on Friday to see if Kevin gets out of jail," wrote Smith on June 28.
"I know posting this picture of the judge can land me in hot water but I really do not care because its time to expose these crooked judges for what there doing."
Smith fined, avoids jail time
During Wednesday morning's sanction hearing, Smith repeatedly apologized for what he did.
"I'm terribly sorry for taking the screenshot, I felt bad," he said.
"Mr. Smith was clearly in contempt of my court order and he made a virtue of broadcasting this contempt on social media. That's how it came to our attention," Germain told the sanction hearing Wednesday.
Smith was fined $1,000 for the contempt charge and ordered to pay $1,500 in legal costs to Alberta Health Services.
Germain said that in similar cases, a contempt of court charge would usually result in a short jail sentence. However, he said, several factors were considered, including Smith's decision to admit his guilt, take down the post and negotiate a cash settlement.
"In any other circumstance, Mr. Smith would have gone to jail for a short, sharp period of imprisonment," said the judge.
We encourage people to express negativity about the court system, but you will understand that judges are also human beings, and so when people challenge our integrity, or suggest that we're doing something unlawful or inappropriate, and if their words become hostile, it upsets us.
- Court of Queen's Bench Justice Adam Germain
Germain said that while judges have "thick skins" and are open to criticism, comments suggesting they are doing something unlawful can be upsetting.
"We encourage people to express negativity about the court system," Germain said while delivering his decision.
"But you will understand that judges are also human beings, and so when people challenge our integrity, or suggest that we're doing something unlawful or inappropriate, and if their words become hostile, it upsets us," he said.
"And it also upsets judges when we make a court order that we expect to be obeyed."
Germain has been tasked with handling all Alberta pandemic-related breaches of judges' orders. The aim is to control repeat offenders who refused to abide by public health restrictions and encouraged others to follow along.
Kevin J. Johnston has been found guilty of breaching several court orders and faces a sanction hearing on Wednesday. (YouTube)
Judge to preside over hearing for Johnston
Germain is scheduled to preside over a sanction hearing Sept. 8 for Kevin J. Johnston, the Calgary mayoral candidate who is a leader in the COVID-19 denial movement. He has been found guilty of breaching several court orders related to public gatherings.
Johnston pleaded guilty to criminal harassment of an Alberta Health Services employee whose family photos he posted online along with threatening messages.
Johnston was also convicted of causing a disturbance at the Core shopping centre in downtown Calgary when he became belligerent with employees after being asked to wear a mask.
Johnston was arrested on May 26 and has served about 10 weeks, when enhanced credit is considered. Those awaiting trial and — if found guilty — sentencing, typically receive 1.5 days of credit for every one day spent in jail.
With files from Meghan Grant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvkDzme6mrI&ab_channel=KFARR
News Now Canada Independent Media
80 Comments
Canadian Forces veteran who leads Diaglon appears in Saskatoon court
SASKATOON – A man who calls himself the “raging dissident” was arrested in Nova Scotia and brought to Saskatchewan to appear in Saskatoon Provincial Court Monday.
Jeremy MacKenzie, 36, was arrested in Cole Harbour by the Nova Scotia RCMP and transported to Saskatoon. His matter was adjourned to Friday for a show cause hearing.
MacKenzie was wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for the last six months on charges stemming from an alleged incident earlier this year. Saskatoon RCMP say that they received a report of an assault in the R.M. of Viscount in March. In July, police charged MacKenzie with assault, pointing a firearm, using a restricted weapon in a careless manner, and mischief
In March, he was charged with harassment and intimidation in connection with a protest outside of the home of Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health.
Previously, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre asked the RCMP to investigate MacKenzie after he talked about sexually assaulting Poilievre's wife during a live-streamed video.
MacKenzie, who is a podcaster, founded the online group Diaglon. On social media, he describes himself as “unacceptable and extreme alt-right,” a sit-down comedian, and anti-government. He also says he is a former Stormtrooper with the Canadian Armed Forces.
A recent House of Commons report labelled Diaglon as an ideologically motivated extremist group. The report states that the group consists of former Canadian Forces members who have real combat training and capabilities, and have "grown increasingly radicalized.”
The charges against MacKenzie haven’t been tested in court.
You are the absolute cutting edge of professional journalism in this country, Doland. Your nuanced analyses, your sublime grast of the english language, and your unorthodox punctuation style all make for a breathtaking reading experience. Keep up the good work!
Like