Rebel News Mission Specialist David Menzies was arrested after an encounter with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) during a recent attempt to question Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.
The incident took place at a memorial service commemorating the victims of Flight PS752, which was shot down by the Iranian military four years ago, the Rebel News reported.
Video footage from the scene shows a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer purposely blocking Menzies as he tried to ask Minister Freeland questions.
“Ms. Freeland, how come the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is not a terrorist group? Why is your government supporting Islam?” asked Menzies.
Seconds later, an unnamed police officer suddenly bumped into Menzies, pressed him against a wall, and declared, “You are being arrested for assault.”
The police officer alleged that Menzies had “pushed” him, yet the video tells a different story. It clearly depicts the officer moving into Menzies’ path, suggesting that the officer’s actions were the issue.
WATCH:
BREAKING: Rebel News reporter David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) was brutally arrested by police after he tried to ask Chrystia Freeland questions.
Visit Rebel News for more on this story: https://t.co/J42ReU1MjY pic.twitter.com/5vgNotnjyy
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) January 8, 2024
“Welcome to [Justin Trudeau]’s Canada,” Menzies said as he was being detained. “This is what they do to journalists. I was merely trying to scrum Minister Freeland and the RCMP officer blocked me, and evidently this is a trumped-up charge of assault, folks. I came here to do my job and now I’m handcuffed.”
Menzies continued to express his disbelief, highlighting the paradoxical situation wherein the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is not designated as a terrorist organization by the Canadian government, yet the same administration arrests a journalist at a vigil for Canadians slain by an Iranian military action.
Despite the arrest, Menzies was not taken to jail. He was held in the police vehicle and later released, according to Rebel News.
Ezra Levant, the founder of Rebel News, has expressed outraged over the incident and stated that legal action would be pursued.
“We’ve got a lawyer on the case right now. We don’t yet know if David will have to post bail or when his first court appearance will be. But we need your help.”
Levant, a former lawyer himself, along with another top lawyer, Guidy Mamann, are adamant about fighting the charge. Levant explained that they were conducting a follow-up report on Patrick Brown, Mayor of Brampton, who was previously caught by Menzies engaging in private hockey games while public arenas were shut down for the community.
The Rebel News team claims they were on public property conducting journalism when police ordered them to cease and leave the area. Levant insists that this is not how democracy operates and that journalists have the right to report from public spaces without undue interference.
“We intend to fight this like hell,” Levant stated, “And to investigate the role of Patrick Brown, the mayor, as to why a whole squad of police cars were dispatched to arrest a peaceful journalist. That doesn’t sound like a police decision. That sounds like a political decision.”
The Rebel News team is calling for support as they prepare to take on the violation of journalistic freedom and a political maneuver designed to stifle their reporting.
Levant concluded with a defiant message, “If Patrick Brown thinks that arresting David will stop us from investigating his misconduct, well, they simply don’t know David as well as I do.”
The incident has sparked a debate about press freedom in Canada.
One X user wrote, “Palestinian protesters can block roads , harass Christmas shoppers and threaten elderly white people skating at Toronto city Hall. No arrests. Only white people are arrested for daring to question authority.”
