Rebel News reporter David Menzies is forcefully arrested
By Anthony Murdoch
Authorities acknowledged that Rebel News’ David Menzies posed no threat while attempting to interview Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland before he was arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer responsible for the aggressive arrest of Rebel News reporter David Menzies on Monday night is under investigation and the local city police involved in the incident has confirmed the journalist posed no threat to Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.
As per a National Post report, the RCMP officer was placed under review after video of the altercation went viral.
According to RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Kim Chamberland, the “RCMP protective policing resources were involved in an incident while deployed on a protective operation.”
“The RCMP is looking into the incident and the actions of all parties involved,” Chamberland said.
Outrage exploded on social media this week after video footage seems to show the Canadian reporter being falsely accused of “assault” by a police officer and then immediately apprehended while he was attempting to ask Freeland questions on a public street.
In a video recorded and published Monday that has gone viral with close to 14 million views, Menzies is seen walking beside Freeland on a street in the Toronto suburb of Richmond Hill, Ontario, attempting to ask her questions about Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and why the group has not been given a terrorist designation by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government, of which she is second in command.
Seconds later, the video footage appears to show a plainclothes police officer, who is now confirmed to be a member of the RCMP, positioning his body directly in Menzies’ path, effectively forcing physical contact between himself and the reporter.
After the two lightly bump into each other — contact that the video seems to indicate was initiated by the officer and not Menzies — the officer begins to arrest Menzies in a rather aggressive manner while accusing the reporter of physically assaulting a police officer. Menzies, visibly shocked at the series of events, was then taken away by members of the York Regional Police, the local force operating in Richmond Hill.
Chamberland, as per the National Post, did not provide additional comments regarding the incident but did confirm that the RCMP review will involve all parties.
Menzies was released a short time after his arrest by police officers without being charged. He said that he had asked cops for their badge numbers, but they did not provide this information to him. This claim also appears to be backed up by the video, in which viewers can hear and see Menzies repeatedly ask for the name and badge number of the initial arresting officer.
He said during his arrest, “Welcome to Canada.”
“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,” he added.
Rebel News reporter posed no ‘threat’ to Deputy PM Freeland, local police confirms
The York Regional Police (YRP) assisted the RCMP in arresting Menzies, but its media relations officer, Constable Lisa Moskaluk, claims that the arrest was made solely by the RCMP.
“The arrest of the Rebel News reporter was made by the Prime Minister’s RCMP security detail,” Moskaluk said.
“York Regional Police officers assisted as the interaction took place in our region.”
York police also confirmed that Menzies did not pose any “threat” to Freeland.
“It was determined that no credible security threat existed and the subject was released unconditionally shortly thereafter,” said Moskaluk, per the National Post.
Menzies’ arrest has drawn international attention. It was immediately condemned by many, including prominent Canadian politicians. Even Tesla billionaire Elon Musk chimed in with his thoughts on the incident as the video circulated online.
Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Poilievre reposted Rebel News’ original video of Menzies’ arrest, adding in his own words, “This is the state of freedom of the press. In Canada. In 2024. After 8 years of Trudeau.”
Rebel News head and founder Ezra Levant put the blame on Trudeau’s “thugs” for Menzies’ arrest, and said his team met with lawyer and planned to sue the RCMP, York Regional Police, and Freeland for false arrest.
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