The Ottawa police have announced that the truckers of the Freedom Convoy are now considered an occupation, rather than a protest, so that their presence is illegal. The police have added 150 officers to the deployed force. They plan to put up Jersey barriers and cut supply lines, and will begin arresting people.
In other news, a Michigan mother who allegedly stabbed her 3-year-old daughter to death said that SpongeBob Squarepants ordered her to commit the murder.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Caroline Glick, Dean, JW, Reader from Chicago, Upananda Brahmachari, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.
Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.
Between New Taxes, Interest Rate Rises, Energy Bills, Britons Face Soaring Cost of Living
British householders are being assaulted by rising costs on multiple fronts, with the average increase to the cost of living between taxes, rising in mortgage payments, new taxes, and energy bills reckoned by one member of Parliament to be nearly three thousand a year.
The sharp increase in the cost of living in Britain has been branded as a crisis by the media and left-wing Labour politicians, with calls across the political spectrum for Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer to drop his planned 1.25% national insurance hike, costing the average British family an extra £254 annually, which is exacerbating the situation.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Central Bank Boss to British Workers: Help Fight Inflation by Not Taking Pay Rises
Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has made an astonishing request of British workers, telling them to help the state control inflation by not asking bosses for pay rises.
“We… can try to prevent inflation from spreading, inflation becoming more ingrained in the system,” the central bank boss said in a BBC interview on the subject.
[Comment: That central banker should know what Milton Friedman said: “Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon, in the sense that it is and can be produced only by a more rapid increase in the quantity of money than in output.]
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
U.S. Unemployment Rate Hits 4%, Jobs Numbers Top White House Expectations
The Labor Department said Friday the U.S. employment rate in January was 4%, a slight increase from last month’s 3.9% as the pandemic continues to impact the economy.
Despite the slight percentage increase, the economy last month added 467,000 non-farm jobs, exceeding Wall Street expectation of about 177,000 at the most.
[Comment: But just a few days ago, ADP reported a net job loss of around 200,000.]
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Arizona House Votes to Ban Critical Race Theory in Schools
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona’s Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted Thursday, Feb. 3, to put limits on teaching race and gender in schools, part of the GOP’s nationwide push to block diversity instruction they’ve termed “critical race theory.”
The measure is the latest front in the ever-evolving debate over how to teach U.S. history and reckon with racism in the nation’s past and present.
The measure would ban instruction that “promotes or advocates for any form of blame or judgment on the basis of race, ethnicity or sex.” It seeks to outlaw a list of concepts, including that a person should feel “discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress” because of their race, ethnicity or sex.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Bannon Bombshell: New Filing Accuses Feds of Snooping on One of His Defense Lawyers
The legal team for former Trump adviser Steve Bannon leveled explosive charges Friday night, accusing federal prosecutors of snooping on one of his defense lawyers and the FBI of misleading the grand jury through omissions.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Chicago Police Department has nabbed one of the alleged suspects behind a smash-and-grab robbery late last year at a Windy City car dealership, where they allegedly stole at least $1 million worth of luxury watches, authorities announced Friday.
Carlos Valliant, 38, was arrested in Hammond, Indiana, on Thursday and was extradited back to Chicago on charges of theft and unauthorized control of items worth more than $500,000 to $1 million and burglary, both of which are felonies, the Chicago Police Department announced during a Friday morning press conference.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Evers Vetoes Republican Bill Banning Critical Race Theory
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Tony Evers on Friday vetoed a Republican bill that would have prohibited Wisconsin public schools from teaching students and training employees about concepts such as systemic racism and implicit bias.
Republicans who approved the bill do not have enough votes to override Evers’ veto.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Gov. Youngkin Defends Education Tip Line and Moves on Critical Race Theory
RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) — Virginia’s Governor says he’s received phone calls, letters and emails reporting issues in Virginia schools. But he’s also facing growing calls to stop it altogether.
“Getting rid of divisive concepts in schools is really important,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin, (R) Virginia.
Youngkin is doubling down on a campaign promise to remove divisive concepts, like critical race theory from schools and says he is providing parents an outlet to report concerns. But what’s coming in remains a secret.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Iowa Bill Could See Cameras Installed in Classrooms — So Parents Can Livestream
Conservative lawmakers in Iowa are pushing to have cameras installed in public school classrooms to allow parents to watch via livestreams — as the debate over critical race theory continues to rage.
The lawmakers introduced the bill this week that would see cameras put in almost every K-12 classroom, with the exception of physical education and special needs classes.
Teachers who fail to keep the camera recording, or obstruct its view, could be fined up to 5 percent of their weekly salary each time they are caught doing it, according to the bill.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Iowa Officially Ends COVID State of Emergency
The office of Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) put out a press release on Thursday stating that, as of Feb 15 2022 the state of emergency due to the pandemic will end in Iowa.
The office of Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) put out a press release on Thursday stating that, as of Feb 15 2022 the state of emergency due to the pandemic will end in Iowa.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Judge Blocks Schools From Enforcing Illinois Governor’s COVID Mandates, Calls Them ‘Type of Evil’
Students attending one of the 145 schools across Illinois who are part of a sweeping lawsuit won’t have to wear a mask if they don’t want to, unless they’re given due process. Same goes for certain school staff who don’t want to take weekly COVID-19 tests for not being vaccinated. They must also have due process.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Michael Avenatti Convicted of Stealing $300k From Stormy Daniels
Attorney-turned-criminal Michael Avenatti was convicted Friday of swiping nearly $300,000 in book-advance money from his then-client Stormy Daniels.
The now-twice-convicted felon — and one-time rising star — now faces a maximum of 22 years in prison for his conviction on wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges.
The jury started deliberating Wednesday. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on May 24.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A man convicted of attempting to set fire to a high school during the Black Lives Matter riots in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd has been sentenced to five years probation.
Mohamed Hussein Abdi, 20, was handed the probation sentence in a U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota, Thursday after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit arson, according to court documents obtained by Fox News.
Abdi was also ordered to pay just over $34,000 in restitution to Gordon Parks High School in St. Paul.
Court documents state that the sentence was “imposed pursuant to the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984.”
The presiding judge, Reagan-appointed District Court Judge David S. Doty, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Mom Said She Stabbed Her 3-Year-Old to Death on SpongeBob’s Orders, Investigator Says
A 22-year-old mother who allegedly stabbed her own 3-year-old daughter to death and stashed the body in a trash bag told a Child Protective Services investigator that SpongeBob Squarepants ordered the murder.
That’s according to Ryan Eberline, the CPS investigator who interviewed Justine Johnson in jail after the latter had been arrested on charges of felony murder and first-degree child abuse. Eberline testified in court Friday for a preliminary examination of Johnson, who is accused of killing her daughter, Sutton Mosser, on Sept. 16—just two days after her third birthday.
The grisly killing came to light after Johnson’s 17-year-old brother found a bag at the back of the house the family shared and noticed the toddler’s foot sticking out of it…
— Hat tip: JW | [Return to headlines] |
Obamas Consider Leaving Spotify Amid Backlash to Joe Rogan Experience
Barack and Michelle Obama, who have hosted a number of podcasts on Spotify through their production company Higher Ground since 2019, are reportedly preparing to shop around for a new home as their three-year deal with the audio streaming giant approaches its end date.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
People Magazine Issues Retraction of Four False Claims Against Project Veritas
On Friday, Project Veritas founder James O’Keefe blasted People Magazine after it was discovered that they issued four retractions in one piece regarding Project Veritas and their reporting.
The piece, titled “Was Ashley Biden’s Diary Stolen? How the President’s Daughter Got Caught in Legal Fight After a Leak,” was updated on January 7.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Rapper Who Posted Bail for Shooting Cop is Back in Custody
A teen rapper who was freed on bail last week for allegedly shooting a New York City officer is back behind bars on a probation violation for a prior gun case, officials and sources told Fox News Digital.
Camrin Williams, 16, an up-and-coming artist known as C Blu, posted a $250,000 bond last week using cash from a record label deal for allegedly using a 9mm pistol to shoot NYPD officer Kaseem Pennant in the leg Jan. 18.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A whistleblower accused San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin’s office of threatening her “three different times” in an effort to withhold certain evidence in the case of a police officer accused of using unnecessary force against a civilian, according to local reports.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Shaquille O’Neal Speaks Out Against Vaccine Mandates
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal publicly declared Thursday that in his opinion no one “should be forced” to take a vaccine, and hit back at a reporter who claimed that Americans are not being made to take shots.
Speaking on his podcast, Shaq said “Look, I encourage everyone to be safe and take care of your family; I do. But there are still some people that don’t want to take it. And you shouldn’t have to be forced to take something you don’t want.”
When his CBS reporter guest Nischelle Turner tried to argue that vaccine mandates do not constitute forcing people to take the shots, O’Neal disagreed.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sit Down With Antifa: Young People Are Asking, ‘If Cops Don’t Have to Obey the Law, Why Should I?’
HOUSTON — A Houston anti-fascist said police behavior, COVID-19 and court backlogs have caused an uptick in the city’s violent crime.
Houston, like many major cities nationwide, has seen a surge in violent crime, including an 18% increase in homicides in 2021, according to the Houston Police Department. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner released an initiative on Wednesday that would put more officers on the streets, create a gun buyback program and provide additional funding for court backlogs and domestic violence programs.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Sixteen States File New Lawsuit Against Federal COVID Vaccination Mandate
Sixteen states again are challenging a federal COVID-19 vaccination mandate for health care workers who work at facilities that receive Medicare and Medicaid funding.
Friday’s filing in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana comes after the issuance of final guidance on the mandate from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS), arguing the guidance is an action that is reviewable.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled by 5-4 vote Jan. 13 against the original Louisiana challenge to the mandate and a similar Missouri filing.
The first Louisiana filing initially led to a nationwide injunction in late November. A federal court dismissed a similar Texas lawsuit following the Supreme Court ruling.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said that he believes in the renewed lawsuit.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Vehicle Thefts Skyrocket 93 Percent, Driving NYC’s Crime Surge in 2022
New York is becoming a live action version of “Grand Theft Auto.”
Vehicle thefts are the driving force behind the Big Apple’s soaring crime rate so far this year, skyrocketing 93 percent in January versus the same period last year, NYPD data show.
In the first 30 days of 2022, 1,151 cars and motorized vehicles, such as scooters and motorcycles, were stolen, compared to 598 during the same time frame in 2021.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Video: Virginia Mother Slams School Officials Over “Asinine Political Theater” Mask Mandate
A Virginia mother’s impassioned speech before her children’s school board has gone viral after she pointed out that their mask policy is pure political theater and has “turned kids’ lives upside down at school for what is essentially a non-risk.”
Merianne Jenson tore apart officials on the Prince William County School Board, noting that other schools in the country have stayed open throughout the pandemic without mask mandates and operated perfectly normally.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Virginia Judge Grants Temporary Restraining Order Allowing Mask Mandates to Remain in Schools
Students in northern Virginia schools will have to continue wearing face masks after an Arlington judge granted a temporary restraining order preventing Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s mask-optional order from taking effect.
The decision comes after seven school boards requested a temporary restraining order in a lawsuit to block Youngkin’s order which allows parents to decide what’s best for their children.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Waffle House Shooting Trial: Travis Reinking Guilty on All Counts
A jury on Friday found Travis Reinking guilty of first-degree murder in the deaths of four people at a Waffle House in 2018, thwarting an attempted insanity defense and marking a dramatic conclusion to one of the city’s most high-profile criminal trials.
He was found guilty on all 16 counts against him. Reinking did not visibly react to the verdict. As he was led away from the defense table, he barely glanced at his parents in the front row.
The jury deliberated for nearly five hours.
Reinking, 33, faced multiple murder charges in the April 22, 2018, early morning shooting at the Waffle House in Antioch that killed four and maimed several others.
Taurean C. Sanderlin, 29; Joe R. Perez, 20; DeEbony Groves, 21; and Akilah DaSilva, 23, died after investigators said a gunman walked into the restaurant just after 3:20 a.m. and opened fire with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. Three others, James Shaw Jr., Kayla Shaw, Sharita Henderson and Shantia Waggoner, were wounded in the shooting.
Reinking pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
He admits he was the shooter. It was up to the jury to decide whether he was sane enough at the time of the shooting to be found guilty of murder.
The approach put an unusual burden on Reinking’s defense to prove by clear and convincing evidence that his mental state was so warped at the time of the shooting that he could not appreciate right from wrong.
Reinking has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
But could a line be drawn between his delusions and the violent acts he committed that early Sunday morning in 2018? The jury, 10 women, two men, left the courtroom around 12:10 p.m. Friday to decide.
Davidson County Criminal Court Judge Mark Fishburn presided.
The jury was somber as they walked back into the courtroom on Friday afternoon around 5 p.m. The foreperson swore to the judge the verdicts had been decided unanimously.
Although the judge before the verdict reminded the gallery not to react emotionally, a gasp went up as soon as the first guilty verdict was read.
As the list of guilty verdict after guilty verdict continued, quiet sobs continued among the victims and family gathered close together in the gallery…
— Hat tip: Dean | [Return to headlines] |
Watch: Teachers Lock Out California Students After They Stage Mask Revolt
Hundreds of students in the Oakdale Joint Unified School District banded together and started protesting against their school mask mandates on Thursday. They wound up marching on the district headquarters demanding change.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch: Tucker Carlson Speaks With Convoy to DC Co-Organizer of After Their Facebook Page Was Banned
The co-organizer of the American truck convoy to DC joined Fox News’ Tucker Carlson on Thursday and discussed Facebook banning the event’s page.
Brian Brase, the co-organizer of the American truck convoy to DC, told Carlson that Facebook banned the group for violating their “QAnon standards.”
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
#BREAKING: GoFundMe Refuses to Release Money Donated to Freedom Convoy
GoFundMe has announced that it will not be releasing over $9 million dollars in donations to the trucker Freedom Convoy 2022 organizers.
The online funding platform posted the announcement on Friday on the Freedom Convoy’s fundraising webpage.
[Comment: GiveSendGo has agreed to host the Freedom Convoy donations: https://www.givesendgo.com/]
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
After Pushing COVID Booster Shots for Months, Government Now Says Wait
Despite pushing COVID-19 booster shots for months, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) is now advising Canadians to delay getting the shots by three months if they’ve been infected with the Omicron variant.
According to the NACI’s recommended interval breakdown, those who have been infected with Omicron are being asked to wait “3 months after symptom onset or positive test (if asymptomatic) and provided it is at least 6 months from completing the primary series.”
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Canadian Soldiers Cautioned Against Showing Any Support for Trucker Protest
An email leaked to Rebel News Friday morning, sent by Lt. Jennifer MacCosham, the public affairs officer of 8 Wing, the Royal Canadian Air Force base in Trenton, Ontario, to members of the air force threatens disciplinary action and possible firing for anyone publicly supportive of the convoy protests taking place all across Canada in opposition to COVID-19 restrictions.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
CBC Admits NO EVIDENCE of Russian Meddling in Canada Over Freedom Convoy Concerns
The CBC’s assertion that Russia could be playing a role in the freedom convoy was not based in fact, the network said on Thursday.
According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the CBC said in a statement that they should have consulted “experts’ concerns” that the tensions in Ukraine and Moscow “could use its cyber and disinformation capabilities.”
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Civil Liberties Charity Concerned About Police Threats to Kettle Peaceful Protesters in Ottawa
The Democracy Fund (TDF), a registered Canadian charity with a focus on civil liberties advancement and education, is cautioning Ottawa police that any abusive activity directed at peaceful Freedom Convoy protesters in the city since last Friday would end up before the courts.
A press release from TDF Friday afternoon detailed why the charity is concerned about the potential for a police escalation to violence this weekend after the second wave of truckers and allies are set to descend on the nation’s capital.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Defacing or Decorating? Terry Fox Statue in Ottawa Draped With Flag and Sign
In recent days, many mainstream media outlets have tried to discredit the truckers’ convoy for freedom movement in Ottawa. Among their arguments are claims that the protesters are either racists or people who are there to cause trouble.
Images of the Terry Fox statue with a Canadian flag, a cap, and a sign that read ‘Mandate Freedom’ circulated on national news and were described as outrageous and disgraceful. I decided to go and meet the people on the spot to find out what they thought of this so-called disgraceful action.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Elon Musk Slams GoFundMe for ‘Double Standard’ After Platform Seizes $10 Million From Freedom Convoy
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, slammed GoFundMe for taking down the Freedom Convoy’s fund, which amassed over $10 million.
As reported earlier by The Post Millennial, GoFundMe has taken down the Freedom Convoy fundraiser after significant pushback from those opposed to the protest. They stated that they “now have evidence from law enforcement that the previously peaceful demonstration has become an occupation, with police reports of violence and other unlawful activity.”
Responding to suggestions that he had donated funds to the GoFundMe, Musk denied that it was his money, but posted a meme that blasted GoFundMe for being “professional thieves.”
In an additional tweet, Musk shared a screenshot of a post by GoFundMe in 2020 when the company expressed support for the Seattle-based “CHAZ/CHOP” autonomous zone established, as also detailed by TPM.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Exclusive Video — Freedom Convoy Demonstrator: Canadians Are ‘Tired of Being Sorry’
OTTAWA, Ontario — “I’m tired of being sorry,” a demonstrator feeding truckers and others at the Freedom Convoy protest identifying himself as Dave told Breitbart News on Wednesday.
Dave, who told Breitbart News he came to Ottawa from Montreal, Quebec, said he had been in the nation’s capital since Friday night. He was volunteering working a makeshift kiosk serving hot coffee and chocolate, tea, soups, and other food and drink provided by donations to trucker demonstrators and other protesters near Parliament Hill.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Exclusive Video — Canada ‘Freedom Convoy’ Protester: Families ‘Have Had Enough’
OTTAWA, Ontario — “I am very, very much pro-freedom, and I have no love for tyranny,” Shanna, a demonstrator supporting the Freedom Convoy protest told Breitbart News on Wednesday when asked for her motivations in attending the events on Parliament Hill.
Shanna, who lives near Ottawa, said the protest is about defending Canadians’ rights while holding a large Canadian flag. She said she had attended the ongoing rallies since the prior Saturday.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Facebook Removes ‘Freedom Convoy’ Page of Truckers Against Vax Mandates
A Facebook page organizing a protest by US truckers against vaccine mandates has been removed by the social media giant, riling long-haulers blasting “censorship at its finest,” according to a report.
The “Freedom Convoy” of truckers, following the lead of their Canadian counterparts, plan to drive from California to Washington, DC, in opposition to vaccine rules nationwide.
The group’s “Convoy to DC 2022” page on Facebook, however, was removed Wednesday for violating policies around QAnon, Fox News reported.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Feds Placed at Least 20 Health Canada Employees on Unpaid Leave Due to Vax Status
The federal government has placed at least 20 employees of Health Canada on unpaid leave related to vaccination status, while the Human Rights Commission also admits to firing fewer than 10 employees for not complying with the jab or job mandate of Trudeau’s government.
Hundreds of other public servants across dozens of federal agencies and ministries were also constructively fired for their decisions to remain unvaccinated or to not divulge their COVID-19 vaccination status to their managers.
The data comes from an order paper response to a government-wide inquiry posed by Conservative MP Rosemarie Falk of BattleFords-Lloydminster.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Five Medical Doctors Speak Out and Question the Science Behind Our Government’s COVID-19 Narrative
After two years of COVID-19 being used as an excuse for government overreach and medical coercion, many Canadians are going public with their demands for COVID-19 restrictions and no jab, no pay policies to stop. And while authoritative leaders like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may label people with such concerns as part of a “small, fringe minority” of conspiracy theorists with “unacceptable views,” those who attended Vancouver’s most recent World Wide Freedom Rally 6.0 would have seen that’s far from really.
Not only did thousands of concerned citizens peacefully gather to oppose the segregation and loss of liberties caused by COVID-19 mandates, five medical doctors took the stage to speak out about why they believe the approach governments have used to deal with COVID-19 is not only unethical, but in many cases nonsensical.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Freedom Convoy Protesters and Supporters Hold Dance Party in Ottawa
Earlier on Friday, the Canada convoy protesters in Ottawa were seen dancing to music to pass the time as the second official weekend of their demonstrations begin. These activities are in addition to the soup kitchen recently set up in the downtown area.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Interview: Jim Karahalios, Co-Founder of New Blue Party of Ontario on Upcoming Provincial Election
This past weekend I had the privilege of reporting on the ground in Ottawa, where the Canadian Truckers’ for Freedom Convoy — consisting of tens of thousands of transport trucks from all corners of the nation — began to converge on Canada’s capital city. Hundreds of thousands of supporters came out in support, to protest the heavy-handed COVID restrictions still in effect across Canada, which happened primarily in Ottawa’s downtown, centred on Parliament Hill.
On the second day of the protest I ran into Jim Karahalios, co-founder of the New Blue Party of Ontario and one of only a handful of political figures who actually came out to speak with the truckers and protesters on Parliament Hill.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Kenney Setting a Date to End Vaccine Passports — With Strings Attached
Facing a possible revolt in his own caucus and a stand-off with dozens of farmers and truckers blockading the Coutts border crossing, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announced Friday that he would be cancelling Alberta’s version of the vaccine passport — eventually, and with strings attached.
“Early next week, the COVID cabinet committee will approve a plan for the careful lifting of public health measures beginning with the Restriction Exemption Program,” Kenney said in a video posted online.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Liberal MP Compares Freedom Convoy Funding to “Terrorist Financing”
Liberal MP Taleeb Noormohamed compared the funds raised for the Truckers for Freedom Convoy to “terrorist financing” on Friday.
Noormohamed made the comment while answering questions about forcing fundraising platform GoFundMe to testify before a parliamentary committee.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ontario City Backs Down, Allows Woman to Fly F*ck Trudeau Flag
The City of Port Colborne has backed away from ordering a woman to remove a popular anti-Trudeau flag from the front of her home.
The Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF) made the announcement Thursday, calling it “a victory for freedom of expression.” The constitutional rights charity had been working with lawyers and the homeowner since November to challenge the city’s order.
“The city of Port Colborne was wrong to ever issue this order, which violated Melissa’s right to freedom of expression,” said CCF lawyer and spokesperson Christine Van Geyn. “We are pleased that the city has acquiesced under threat of legal action, but no Canadian should ever need to threaten to go to court in order to exercise the rights they are guaranteed under our constitution.”
[Comment: Article dated January 14, 2022.]
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ottawa Protests Inspire Plans for ‘Freedom’ Convoys Around the World
The ongoing protests in Ottawa are inspiring others around the world to create and plan their own “freedom” convoys to demonstrate against pandemic measures and vaccine mandates.
Organizers have set up multiple groups on Facebook, some stating their support for the Canadian protesters and others planning their own convoys.
U.S. media have reported that Facebook removed at least one group, “Convoy To D.C. 2022,” co-ordinating a convoy from California to Washington, D.C.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ottawa Police Promise Heavy Crackdown on Freedom Convoy, Despite Data Showing Crime Down in Ottawa
City officials have promised to “expand and harden the demonstration red zone,” referring to the Freedom Convoyas a dangerous, well-funded occupation.
In a series of tweets sent Friday morning, Ottawa police indicate they will be implementing a “surge and contain” strategy in neighbourhoods.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ottawa Police Hand Out Tickets to Honkers
Ottawa police say they have begun handing out tickets and other fines to convoy participants in the city’s downtown area, after nearly a week of honking that has residents frustrated.
30 traffic tickets were given in the Centretown, Sandy Hill, Gleve, and ByWard Market/Lowertown neighbourhoods, all close to the convoy which is mainly on Wellingston Street in front of Parliament Hill, reports Global News.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Ottawa Expects Surge of Trucker Convoy Protestors This Weekend
Police in Ottawa have stated that they have intelligence that the number of protestors joining the Freedom Convoy to protest vaccine mandates and Wuhan coronavirus restrictions will increase this weekend.
Trish Ferguson, acting deputy chief for the police force, stated that hundreds of trucks were in Ottawa and while the crowds have declined since last weekend, police intelligence suggests that more people will join the protests this coming weekend.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Police Close Roads in Downtown Toronto Ahead of Trucker Protests
Toronto Police Chief James Ramer said on Friday that road closures are already in place in the downtown area ahead of anticipated trucker protests against COVID-19 vaccine mandates over the weekend. He said closures are to ensure patients and staff access to hospitals.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Politicians Are Afraid of the Freedom Convoy
As public health restrictions get rolled back, politicians and the media are denying that the freedom convoy, which is still going strong in Ottawa and cities across the country, is having an effect. In this episode of the show, True North’s Andrew Lawton talks about the moving goalposts of the convoy’s opponents, and the importance of strong conservative leadership from the Conservative Party of Canada. Also, Andrew shares an interview with lawyer Keith Wilson, retained by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms to represent the freedom convoy’s organizers, regarding efforts to get GoFundMe to unfreeze donations made to the convoy.
Since the interview was recorded, GoFundMe has removed the campaign altogether and said it will release no further donations.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Premier Brian Peckford is Suing Canada Over COVID-19 Vaccine Travel Mandates
On last night’s episode of The Ezra Levant Show, the former Newfoundland Premier Brian Peckford joined Ezra to go through, page-by-page, a new lawsuit filed in the Federal Court seeking to strike down the Canadian government’s mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirements for air travellers.
Brian is the only surviving drafter and signatory of the 1982 Constitution and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and is the main applicant in this case.
You can read the document for yourself here on the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedom’s website.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Protesters in Downtown Winnipeg Call for End to Pandemic Restrictions
Semi-trailer trucks and other vehicles lined streets around the Manitoba Legislature Friday morning with a noisy protest convoy calling for an end to pandemic restrictions and federal vaccine mandates for truckers.
The vehicles parked along Broadway and Memorial Boulevard, and a truck towing a camper trailer blocked Memorial at St. Mary Avenue.
Memorial was closed from Broadway to St. Mary, as was York Avenue from Osborne Street to Kennedy Street, Winnipeg police said. Police also blocked eastbound Assiniboine Avenue at the Osborne Bridge.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Quebec City Version of ‘Freedom’ Protest Continues
Protesters in Quebec City opposed to COVID-19-related health restrictions began their second day of demonstrations on Friday under the watch of a heightened police presence.
The demonstration is a spin-off of the “Freedom Convoy” of truckers that arrived in Ottawa seven days ago, and that has since occupied the downtown core of the nation’s capital and caused havoc for local residents.
In Quebec City, Bernard “Rambo” Gauthier, a member of a heavy machinery union, and his supporters protested in front of the National Assembly, which is being guarded by officers with the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Reactions: Quebec Scraps Plan to Tax the Unvaccinated
Alexa Lavoie has been spending much of her time recently covering the ongoing Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa. With the convoy and other solidarity protests happening not only in Canada, but around the world, one story might have slipped under the radar.
A few weeks ago, Quebec Premier Francois Legault announced his government would begin issuing a tax to its population that has chosen to remain unvaccinated due to their alleged burden on health-care facilities.
Now, whether it merely a change of heart or advice from medical advisors — or more likely, legal experts — Premier Legault has shifted his position and scrapped those plans.
While in Ottawa, Alexa asked the people on the street what they thought of Legault’s reversal and whether this was the correct decision.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Saskatchewan Residents Protest in Solidarity With Freedom Convoy
Ottawa was all abuzz over this past weekend, especially on Saturday, January 29.
As always, Rebel News had boots on the ground, getting some fantastic coverage of the very peaceful and jubilant events in our nation’s capital.
While all of that was taking place, several protests and “mini-convoys” were occurring nation-wide! Whether in rural regions or cities, thousands of people gathered all over the country to share in the festivities and have their voices heard.
Saskatchewan was no exception!
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Street Crime Falls in Downtown Ottawa Since Start of Freedom Convoy Protests
Despite claims from media and politicians, the Freedom Convoy truckers’ protest in downtown Ottawa has actually resulted in a fall of street crime, reports Blacklock’s Reporter.
Police Chief Peter Sloly admitted on Wednesday that “there have been no riots, injuries or deaths,” and that police “are arresting, charging and investigating bad actors.” Truckers have been charged only with traffic violations and for honking.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
The Ottawa Temper Tantrums Continue
It’s Fake News Friday on The Candice Malcolm Show.
On today’s show, Candice highlights and analyzes the temper tantrums coming from Ottawa journalists, bureaucrats and Liberal politicians, and contrasts it with the real story on the ground.
The peaceful, happy, positive and patriot Freedom Rally continues — unscathed by the smears coming from elites.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Watch: Freedom Convoy Sets Up Soup Kitchen in Ottawa
A soup kitchen has been set up by freedom convoy truckers and supporters in the city of Ottawa’s downtown core.
Yesterday, convoy organizer Tamara Lich called protestors “average, peace-loving and law-abiding citizens from all walks of life,” with others attesting to the good deeds the have witnessed on the foot of the Hill.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Czech Doctor Denounces ‘Pandemic of Stupidity’
Czech doctors have had enough of their corrupt representative body. Because, similar to France, Austria and Germany, the head of the medical association there, Milan Kubek, had been pressuring members with dissenting opinions about Covid-19, harshly disciplining them and scaring citizens with fake claims.
At least that’s how the doctor Miroslav Havrda, initiator of the parallel Medical Association (PLK), views the matter. His decision could be a role model for the EU where medical authorities have issued increasingly bizarre statements.
In an interview, Havrda spoke of a “pandemic of stupidity”. He lost his respect for Kubek when he fanatically scared unvaccinated citizens and belittled healthy people. Also because he insisted that vaccination was the only salvation against Covid-19, which is a lie.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Dwindling French Gas Stockpiles Stoke Fears of Winter Blackouts
The Brits aren’t the only European nation to find itself on the verge of a full-blown energy crisis.
On Thursday, French natural gas pipeline operator GRTgaz warned that French gas stockpiles are much lower at this point in the year than they have been during years past — and as a result, they run the risk of potentially being depleted before the winter is up, a disaster that could make last year’s deep freeze in Texas look tame if a sudden cold snap sends demand soaring.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
EU Wants to Keep Vaccine Passports in Place for Another Entire Year
The unelected bureaucrat governors of the EU in the European Commission have proposed keeping the bloc’s COVID vaccine passport system in place for another entire year, despite the fact that many member countries are ramping down restrictions.
In a notice on its website, the Commission states “Today the European Commission is proposing to extend the EU Digital COVID Certificate by a year, until 30 June 2023.”
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Harmful Substances Discovered in Masks Distributed to Schools in Swiss Canton
An association of concerned parents from the Italian-speaking Swiss canton of Ticino had face masks analyzed and published the worrying report.
In September 2020 and January 2022 , the magazine K-Tipp published analyzes of FFP2 masks. These revealed that all masks examined contained pollutants that can cause headaches, skin irritation and respiratory irritation. Some of these substances, such as dimethylacetamide and toluene, are even suspected of damaging fetuses and fertility in women.
In Ticino, the wearing of a mask has also been compulsory for elementary school students since January 10. That is why the Association of Concerned Parents GenitorInformaTI had its own analysis carried out in a German special laboratory based on the findings of K-Tipp, as reported on its website. This was made possible thanks to a call for donations from the association. Masks distributed to schools in Ticino were examined.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Climate protesters have been accused of endangering human lives after they once again blocked motorways in Germany.
Motorways in Germany have once again been blocked by climate protesters, sparking accusations that the activists involved are “endangering human lives” with the stunt by delaying emergency services.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Medical Journal Hints at Facebook Lawsuit for Throttling Investigation of COVID Vaccine Trial
The fact-checking industry, empowered by the vast resources of social media giants, is under sustained scrutiny amid a possible legal battle among the British Medical Journal, Facebook owner Meta and a contractor it pays to flag purported COVID-19 misinformation.
Facebook stopped some readers from sharing a BMJ investigation of “data integrity” issues in a Pfizer COVID vaccine trial, BMJ editors wrote in an open letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in November. It also slapped “missing context” labels on posts that went through, warning users they could be penalized for sharing the article.
Contractor Lead Stories seemed more interested, however, in promoting guilt by association and policing political views than checking the facts, the journal’s editors wrote in a blistering New Statesman op-ed last week.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Shock Video: Machete Fight on London Bus
London commuters were shocked to witness a vicious knife fight aboard a busy double-decker bus this week, according to reports.
The terrifying incident unfolded at around 4:40 p.m. on Thursday on the top deck of a public bus in Streatham, a district in south London, England.
Video footage shared on social media shows one suspect wielding a massive blade as another male attempts to defend himself with a stick.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Caroline Glick: The Anti-Defamation League and Amnesty International
One of the curiouser responses to Amnesty International’s Israel Apartheid report this week came from the Anti-Defamation League. Monday, the heads of Amnesty held a press conference in Israel’s capital Jerusalem. In it they presented the main “findings” of the “investigation” they conducted regarding the status of Israel’s existence.
It works out that after years of “careful study,” Amnesty’s entirely professional “researchers,” determined that Israel has no right to exist. The Law of Return, which grants automatic citizenship to Jews after two thousand years of homeless wanderings, is a type of apartheid. Israel’s Jewish identity is apartheid, they said.
The purchase of private land by Jews in sovereign Israel and in Judea and Samaria is apartheid. Use of government land by Jews is apartheid. Enforcement of the laws of the state towards non-Jews — you guessed it — is apartheid in the eyes of Amnesty’s hardnosed, totally unbiased “investigators.”
Amnesty concluded as well that since Israel is an apartheid state that has no right to exist, Israel is guilty of crimes against humanity and, (it almost goes without saying), of war crimes. Unlike the wretched, cruel, greedy and avaricious Jews, the Palestinians are as pure as the driven snow. The word “terror” only appears three times in Amnesty’s 210-page tome and terror is never mentioned as a means to explain any defensive action that Israel has undertaken…
— Hat tip: Caroline Glick | [Return to headlines] |
India: Rajasthan Police Arrested Muslim Neighbour for the Mysterious Death of Hindu Child in a Well
Missing Hindu child’s body found in well in Rajasthan’s Chittorgarh district, Police caught Muslim neighbor on suspicion, misled for two days.
Ranjit Singh Panwar | HENB | Gandhinagar | Feb 4, 2022:: The body of a 9-year-old Hindu boy missing for two days was found in the well this morning. The police was constantly looking for him. The child was last seen with a neighboring Muslim youth. On suspicion, the neighbor was taken into police custody and interrogated. First kept misleading, later told the dead body to be lying in the well. After the death of the son, the mother was in a very difficult condition. The only son of the widowed mother was the only support of love and future. Local People created a ruckus at the collectorate and demanded that the accused be hanged. Some members of the Hindu Organisations viz AantarRashtriya Hindu Parishad and Rashtriya Bajrang Dal gave a memorandum to the Hindoli Sub-divisional officer and expressed their strong resentment over the suspected murder.
Last time the child was with the neighbor
Kotwali police station officer of Chittorgarh, Tulsiram told that two days ago, a 9-year-old child, Alok alias Duggu, a resident of Chamti Kheda, had gone missing from his house. While searching for the child, a CCTV (installed in a roadside house) footage was seen to get some antecedents of the case. In the footage, the child was seen going on a bike with his neighbor Salman, 35. When the neighbor returned, the child was not with him. On suspicion, he was taken into custody on Wednesday night and interrogated. He told that the body of the child is lying in an open well of Bhisti Kheda. Police went to that spot and found the well. The body of Alok was pulled out from the well with the help of civil defence. Afterwards, the body was kept in the mortuary of the hospital.
Went to get the pigeon, the child slipped
In the initial statement, Salman said that on February 1, he had gone to the well with Alok to get a pigeon. The child was repeatedly asked to stay away from the well but he did not agree. the child slipped into the well. Out of fear, he (Salman) ran away and returned home. At the same time, Alok’s mother says that the son also knew how to swim. He also used to swim in the river. The police have doubts on Salman’s statements. He will be taken into remand and interrogated…
— Hat tip: Upananda Brahmachari | [Return to headlines] |
The mother of a 19-year-old who was killed by an illegal immigrant in a hit-and-run said she is ‘disappointed’ with the Biden administration’s new policies that will see her daughter’s alleged killer stay in the country despite being in the U.S. illegally.
‘My message is, look out for the American people first,’ Rhonda Exum told Fox News during a panel of victims of crime by illegal immigrants when asked what she would tell Biden’s team when it comes to border policies.
‘Truth be told, this was literally my first time voting and I voted for you, and I feel disappointed right now,’ Exum added.
[Comment: She should be invited to speak at a Trump rally.]
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Home Office Tells Refugees it Will Stop Giving Them Free Toiletries and Medication…
…after it was revealed the government is spending £4.7 million a day housing asylum seekers in hotels
The Home Office has told refugees staying in hotels it will stop giving them free toiletries and medication, according to a new letter.
The letter states that the measures will come into effect on February 11 and comes after it was revealed that the Government is spending £4.7 million a day housing asylum seekers in hotels, an estimated £127 per person.
Faiz Mohammad Seddeqi, 30, a former guard at the British Embassy in Kabul, received the letter on Thursday.
Mr Seddeqi has been staying in a hotel for almost six months after he was evacuated to the UK from Afghanistan in August last year with his wife and son.
Speaking via an interpreter he said: ‘When we see this kind of reaction and decision from (the) Home Office, it means ‘from onward we don’t care about you and we are not concerned about you — you need to manage everything by yourself.’
The letter, addressed from the Afghanistan Resettlement Arrivals Project at the Home Office, reads: ‘Until now, in addition to your Universal Credit payments and the accommodation and meals provided in the bridging hotels, we have also provided some additional items.
‘I am writing to inform you that from 11 February we will no longer provide those additional items and you will need to purchase these for yourself using your Universal Credit payments.’
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
US Made Record 1.9M Migrant Arrests at Southern Border Last Year
US Border officials made a record 1.9 million arrests along the southern border in 2021, new data reveals.
The numbers, whose release stemmed from a lawsuit against the Biden administration filed by the GOP attorneys general in Missouri and Texas, revealed that just over 20 percent of those arrested, or 402,000, were released into the US for further processing or asylum hearings.
That’s a drop from before the pandemic began, when roughly 56 percent of immigrants arrested were released, the Wall St. Journal reported.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
A British migration think tank has warned that if the government is able to stop releasing illegal migrant data, numbers will continue to increase without the public’s knowledge “for months”.
Migration Watch UK warned that the British Home Office “plans to stop issuing daily arrival figures”, opting instead to release “totals on a much less frequent basis”.
— Hat tip: Reader from Chicago | [Return to headlines] |
Have you read about the psychosis in Sweden in connection with the alleged kidnapping of Muslim children by social services?
You can read it in this Swedish blog, where the author covered the issue more than some publications.
https://petterssonsblogg.se/2022/01/29/sverige-ar-ett-smutsigt-och-rasistiskt-land-pa-sociala-medier-svammar-muslimernas-hat-mot-sverige-over/
If you have a twitter, I recommend that you query this tag to see the Muslim psychosis firsthand.
#اوقفوا_خطف_اطفالنا
Google Translate will help you!
#Stopkidnappingourchildren
This is a better tag to search on twitter. News in English about the alleged removal of Swedish children from Muslim families and their upbringing in “Christian vice”