The Freedom Convoy trucker Protests in Canada were certainly nonviolent affairs, at least until Police swooped in. Nobody could accuse protesters of being bloodthirsty or of reveling in brutality being visited upon their rivals. If only we could say the same thing about those doing the crackdown with any assuredness.
According to Fox News, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are investigating after a source on Social media leaked screenshots that were reportedly from an RCMP group chat in which members relish in the pain being inflicted upon COVID-19 protesters in the Canadian capital of Ottawa.
The investigation comes after video surfaced of a mounted officer who appeared to knock over an elderly female protester with a walker. Despite footage contradicting their account, Ottawa Police initially indicated that a bicycle was thrown at the horse. (The Western Journal was among the media outlets to note Ottawa Policeās reticence in addressing the disturbing clip; weāll continue to bring you the latest news on the Canadian Protests. You can help us bring America the truth by subscribing.)
The law enforcement members in this case are from the RCMP Musical Ride, a group which is described as helping out āfront-line Police operations by building positiveĀ relationships, supporting recruiting efforts and promoting the RCMPās image in communities in Canada.ā
The messages, if accurate as recorded in screen shots and photos, didnāt buttress the RCMPās image any.
In one screen-shotted message, an RCMP member declares, āTime for the protesters to hear our jackboots on the ground.ā When he was told by another group chat member that āthis is a kinder gentler RCMP,ā he responded, āOkay we can give out free hugs and unicorn stickers.ā
The same member also raises a beer to the officers involved in the crackdown.
āCheers crew!ā he wrote. āHereās to some sweet OT this weekend for our on call members. Donāt kick all of them out until next weeks group gets our turn.ā
In another, the video of the elderly woman getting knocked over is being discussed. Just so weāre clear, this is what weāre talking about:
WARNING: The following video contains graphic violence that some viewers may find disturbing.
One group member claims other shots of the video show someone āinserting a bike in path tripping him upā and says āthankfully the rider stayed on.ā Another, however, seems more enthused about it.
āust watched that horse video ā that is awesome,ā they said. āWe should practice that manoeuvre.ā
Images from the chat were separately reported on by both the right-wing Canadian news site Rebel News and independent journalist Keean Bexte. While both side with the Freedom Convoy protesters and Rebel News originally couldnāt corroborate the messages, the RCMP seems to think theyāre valid enough to warrant an investigation.
āThe RCMP is aware of the material circulating on social media pertaining to a chat group that includes some of its members, and we can confirm that we are looking into the matter. This material is not representative of those who have committed themselves to serving Canadians with integrity and professionalism,ā the RCMP said in a statement Sunday.
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āSince the beginning, our members have worked tirelessly alongside our municipal and provincial policing partners in Ottawa and across the country to end illegal blockades and unlawful Protests safely and peacefully.
āAll members of the RCMP know that, whether on or off duty, they have a responsibility to hold themselves to the highest professional standards and are subject to the Code of Conduct of the RCMP at all times,ā it continued. āThis includes acting with integrity, fairness and impartiality and avoiding any potential conflicts between their professional responsibilities and private interests.ā
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That statement came on the same day a civilian oversight board in Ontario announced it was looking into the video which showed the elderly woman being knocked over.
Whether the investigations mount to anything remains to be seen, but the point remains that this canāt just be dismissed out of hand as disinformation. The governmentās crackdown on Protests has been a state-sanctioned use of Police force against protesters that the left can finally get behind. Itās not just that they donāt think the video of the elderly protester being knocked down or the RCMP Musical Ride messages are fake news. Itās that they donātĀ care.
All of this is worth noting since, on Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau got the House of Commonsā approval for his use of the Emergencies Act to crack down on the Freedom Convoy. According to Politico, Trudeauās Liberal Party won the support of the left-wing New Democratic Party in a 185-151 vote that allows the government to continue using its expanded powers to arrest demonstrators, seize their assets and zero out their bank accounts.
Trudeau was asked whether the vote was representative of the confidence lawmakers had in his shaky minority government. āI canāt imagine anyone voting against this bill as expressing anything other than a deep mistrust in the governmentās ability to keep Canadians safe at an extraordinarily important time,ā Trudeau said.
As is too often the case, I couldnāt have summed it any better than Trudeau did ā despite only one of us intending it that way.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
