Rebel News reporter Alexa Lavoie was assaulted and injured by police in Ottawa, Canada, while she was covering the Freedom Convoy protest early Saturday morning.
Rebel News CEO Ezra Levant announced Saturday that he has spoken with his reporter and legal counsel and has decided to sue police on Lavoie’s behalf.
Police “formed a line in front of the protesters” in the morning and “attempted to push back against demonstrators gathered at the city center,” Rebel News reported. “Amid loud pops … Lavoie was directly hit by police during the melee, injuring her.”
WATCH:
Rebel News reporter Alexa Lavoie was struck and injured by police while covering the ongoing Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa. pic.twitter.com/Z2ZhqWdLTa
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) February 19, 2022
In a thread posted to Twitter, Levant detailed what happened to his reporter and accused Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of targeting police, suggesting Lavoie and his team in particular might be a target for the embattled prime minister.
“I just spoke with Alexa Lavoie, our brave reporter who was just assaulted by Trudeau’s police. She tells me a cop hit her three times with a club and then shot a tear gas canister at her leg from point-blank range,” Levant wrote. “Trudeau has instructed his police to attack journalists.”
1. I just spoke with Alexa Lavoie, our brave reporter who was just assaulted by Trudeau's police. She tells me a cop hit her three times with a club and then shot a tear gas canister at her leg from point-blank range.
Trudeau has instructed his police to attack journalists. pic.twitter.com/cCzOavctrz
— Ezra Levant 🍁🚛 (@ezralevant) February 19, 2022
“Alexa says she was specifically targeted by a cop who saw her camera. She says he came up to her and beat her and pushed her down. She says he tried to knock the phone out of her hands, to stop her from filming,” the media CEO continued. “Here is video of the attack. I understand we have more footage. Unprovoked, targeted violence, beating a woman with a stick, and shooting her at point-blank range with a tear gas round.”
3. Here is video of the attack. I understand we have more footage. Unprovoked, targeted violence, beating a woman with a stick, and shooting her at point-blank range with a tear gas round. pic.twitter.com/yQXyDL4nJL
— Ezra Levant 🍁🚛 (@ezralevant) February 19, 2022
“I have spoken with Alexa and with legal counsel. We will sue the police on Alexa’s behalf,” he said. “I know the rest of the Media Party is delighting at Trudeau’s brutality and martial law. But we still believe in peace and freedom. Help me StandWithAlexa.com.”
“Trudeau has had a vendetta against Alexa ever since she asked this question of him during the election debates (after trying and failing to keep her kept [sic] out),” Levant asserted, providing video of the interaction:
5. Trudeau has had a vendetta against Alexa ever since she asked this question of him during the election debates (after trying and failing to keep her kept out): pic.twitter.com/hPx5fR8uis
— Ezra Levant 🍁🚛 (@ezralevant) February 19, 2022
“Just last fall Trudeau’s personal bodyguards beat up our reporter David Menzies,” Levant noted.
6. Just last fall Trudeau’s personal bodyguards beat up our reporter David Menzies. pic.twitter.com/VCUtLicD1z
— Ezra Levant 🍁🚛 (@ezralevant) February 19, 2022
“I do not accept this. I do not accept the targeting of our journalists for violence by Trudeau’s thugs,” he said. “I find it repugnant to see police hit a woman with a club and to shoot her to inflict pain & distress. Help me sue the police for Alexa.”
“Our reporter Alexa was attacked. Another independent reporter, @AndrewLawton was pepper-sprayed yesterday. I have yet to see a peep from @caj, @PENCanada, @AmnestyNow, @CJFE, @pressfreedom, etc. They do not oppose martial law or the crackdown on dissident journalists,” Levant closed the thread, adding images of “the moment the cop shot Alexa.”
9. Here's the moment the cop shot Alexa: https://t.co/IEafS90VoY
— Ezra Levant 🍁🚛 (@ezralevant) February 19, 2022
Related: WATCH: Freedom Convoy Organizer Daniel Bulford Peacefully Turns Himself In, Arrested By Police
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