On Wednesday evening, commentator Dave Rubin stated that his September 29 event with People’s Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier, who is a candidate for Canadian Prime Minister, at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Canada, had been canceled because of threats from Antifa and an article in The Hamilton Spectator that somehow found cause to call Rubin a “far-right YouTube personality.”
It appears that my event with @MaximeBernier on September 29th has been cancelled due to threats from Antifa and this insane piece in the local paper. The school is now demanding 10 times the original security costs and could demand more before showtime: https://t.co/AMbgX9qyX7 pic.twitter.com/Iry2sb7bfV
— Dave Rubin (@RubinReport) September 26, 2019
Rubin slammed Evan Balgord, the author of the article and the Executive Director of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network.
Hi @ebalgord, can you point out my far right cred? Or how I’ve led anyone to the neo-Nazi movement? I lost family in the Holocaust and grew up around survivors you sniveling, pathetic, weasel of a human… pic.twitter.com/lr1Mxt67fC
— Dave Rubin (@RubinReport) September 26, 2019
I have just offered to cover the 10x security fee myself. cc: @BarrettWilson6 @GadSaad @MaximeBernier
— Dave Rubin (@RubinReport) September 26, 2019
Rubin told the Post-Millenial, “I don’t know where these threats came from, nor who the ‘journalist’ who wrote this ridiculous piece of fiction is. I was looking forward to talking to Maxime about freedom and liberty in front of hundreds of good people. I intend to be at the event as expected.”
Balgord noted that Mohawk College planned to rent space to Bernier and Rubin, then ranted:
Hamilton is a front-line of hate group vs. anti-racist and anti-Fascist action in Canada, and the PPC’s decision to have the event at Mohawk during the election is deliberate. Many in their base hate anti-racists and anti-fascists and share fantasies of fighting them and watching them be arrested. By inviting a demonstration against their event the PPC is feeding red meat to their base.
Balgord quoted Mohawk College President Ron McKerlie acknowledging, “All Colleges and Universities are covered by a government mandated Freedom of Speech policy that requires us to provide opportunity for anyone to express their views.”
After allowing, “The government’s policy requires that they don’t ‘obstruct or interfere with the freedom of others to express their views,'” Balgord theorized, “Nowhere does it say that Mohawk College is required to rent to anyone,” adding that Mohawk’s policy on facility rentals states, “Mohawk College respects the right to freedom of expression and will comply with the Ontario Human Rights Code. Mohawk College reserves the right to ensure that any use of Facilities does not compromise Mohawk College’s or the Mohawk College community’s activities as well as the safety and security of persons and Facilities.”
Balgord limned PPC as racist, writing, “So many PPC supporters and organizers have been exposed as bigots, members or supporters of hate groups, radical conspiracy theorists, or full-blown neo-Nazis that it’s hard to keep count.” Then he segued to Rubin, who is gay and Jewish, sniping that he is “a significant part of a radicalization process ushering people into the neo-Nazi movement, according to a recently published study out of Cornell University …” He continued, “Either would be counter-demonstrated in Hamilton, and with the current environment it promises to be tense. Mohawk can expect anti-racists to show up and their own students to demonstrate.”
Balgord concluded, “We would argue Mohawk College has every right to cancel this event, and therefore shares responsibility for what happens. We urge them to make a principled decision.”
In July, Bernier was scheduled to do an interview with a local PPC candidate and riding association president Mark Paravolos at the Guelph Youth Music Centre. But Antifa members protested the event, prompting the Guelph Youth Music Centre to cancel the event. Paralovos issued a news release stating, “We have recently learned through social media channels that an ‘anti-fascist rally’ is being organized by a local group, in conjunction with a group from Hamilton, to protest at the event. The language and imagery used in the social media posts is concerning for the safety of the members of our community who are planning to attend this event, and for the GYMC.”
Bernier created The People’s Party of Canada in September 2018, just after he resigned from the Conservative party. On Wednesday, he spoke in Surrey, B.C., amid protesters. He has said he would prefer a fence erected in Quebec where thousands of refugees have entered.