The lawsuit alleges that the RCMP engaged in false arrest, false imprisonment, abuse of process, as well as assault and battery and seeks damages in excess of $1 million.
Rebel News and journalist David Menzies are suing the RCMP for manhandling and arresting Menzies when he tried to interview Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland as she arrived at an official event in the Greater Toronto Area in January.
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View on XThe media outlet described the RCMP’s reaction to Menzies as “a pattern of intimidation and exclusion against Rebel News journalists.”
“Enough is enough,” publisher Ezra Levant declared Tuesday. “Today we sued Chrystia Freeland’s RCMP bodyguards for roughing up our reporter David Menzies. And we’ve retained two of Canada’s top lawyers to do it.”
One of those lawyers is Lawrence Greenspon, who has become a well-known legal figure through his defense of Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich.
The lawsuit is aimed at the federal government, York Regional Police, and five RCMP officers over what they describe in their court filing as “false arrest” and “assault and battery” of Menzies.
Although the lawsuit describes the police detail as “John Doe 1-5,” Rebel News and other media have claimed to identify the bald cop who seems to walk right into Menzies in the video that was seen by millions as Const. Greg Dumouchel.
The bodyguard grabbed Menzies by the lapels and said, "Police — you're under arrest for assault. You pushed into me, sir."
"I didn't touch a single person," Menzies responded.
The lawsuit alleges that the RCMP engaged in false arrest, false imprisonment, abuse of process, as well as assault and battery and seeks damages in excess of $1 million.
Rebel News and Menzies also maintain the officers’ actions violated their Charter rights to freedom of the press and freedom from arbitrary detention.
When Freeland arrived at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts on Jan. 8, Menzies and his videographer walked towards her and posed two questions.
“Ms. Freeland, how come the IGRC is not a terrorist group? Why is your government supporting Islamo-Nazism?” Menzies asked while walking beside Freeland. The RCMP bodyguard identified as Dumouchel then puts himself between Menzies and Freeland.
“Mr. Menzies did not push or shove anyone. He did not ‘almost’ push anyone. He was not ‘aggressive’ with either Minister Freeland or the police. At all material times, he maintained a reasonable distance from Minister Freeland,” says the lawsuit.
“There was no cause for either the detention or arrest of Mr. Menzies,” claims the lawsuit.
After being hauled away from the event, police told Menzies that he was not being charged but was released from custody.
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