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Alex Ballingall 🫨 Profile
Alex Ballingall 🫨

@aballinga

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I cover federal politics for the @TorontoStar . Reach me here: aballingall @thestar .ca

Ottawa, Ontario
Joined May 2010
Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.
@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
5 years
Full page ad in today’s @StarSports section. Classy move by the Golden State Warriors.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
3 years
Just saw a truck outside my doctor’s office in Ottawa, as the convoy starts arriving in town. It had two flags stuck into the back of its truck-bed. One was an upside down Canadian flag. The other, a Confederate flag.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Alright, court is coming back for Pat King's bail hearing after lunchbreak. During the recess, King was served with the statement of claim in a $396 million class action lawsuit against him and other #FreedomConvoy organizers and participants.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
3 years
Honestly don't understand the white-hot rage at journalists for reporting on the "Freedom Convoy." It's true police arrested people. It's true they are investigating alleged hate crimes, thefts, property damage. It's true there were Confederate flags and Swastikas among the crowd
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Tamara Lich denied bail, as judge determines her detention on charges is justified, agrees with Crown that her release would spark a "substantial likelihood" that she would re-offend and present a risk to public safety.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Convoy lawyer Eva Chipiuk concludes her closing statement like this: "If there was ever a time for a prime minister to step down, now is that time."
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
3 years
NDP Leader @theJagmeetSingh calls for Canada to stop arms sales to Israel amid violence in Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. "We need to apply pressure so we can ensure a peaceful resolution," he says.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Pat King, a key #FreedomConvoy figure, appearing in court now. New charges signaled last week are being read: -Three charges of perjury -three charges of obstruction of justice He's now been remanded in custody. Scheduled again in court next week, April 26.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
In sum, Pat King is denied bail based on likelihood to reoffend and harm to perception of justice system if he was released. He will remain in jail.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
3 years
Here is a photo to show you I'm not making this up.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
3 years
Just saw a truck outside my doctor’s office in Ottawa, as the convoy starts arriving in town. It had two flags stuck into the back of its truck-bed. One was an upside down Canadian flag. The other, a Confederate flag.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
3 years
Is this not shocking? Is this not newsworthy? Don't you want to know this stuff is going on? It's ridiculous to imply that, because the protesters insist their cause is righteous and they intend to be peaceful, all of this shocking stuff shouldn't be emphasized in our reporting.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
I've just recovered from COVID. This is what I can report as a triple-vaxxed, 35-year-old man: -Sickest I've ever felt. Worst part was exhaustion and fever that rocked me for 36-48 hours; -Progressively better after that; -8 days later, still positive on rapid tests. Stay safe❤️
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
5 years
All 7 seats in Newfoundland/Labrador have been called. Six to the Liberals and one to the NDP. #ELXN43
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
3 years
I asked Chris Barber, the convoy organizer who posted a TikTok video saying they would leave today for Toronto, if they're actually going to leave. He responded: "No, it's a game." Not sure if the response is a game too but that's what he said.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Confirmed. The Crown has laid new charges on four alleged leaders of the so-called #FreedomConvoy . For Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, new charges are: counselling mischief, counselling intimidation, counselling obstruction of police, obstructing police, intimidation and mischief.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
1 year
PM @JustinTrudeau accuses @PierrePoilievre of "choosing to sit behind a veil of ignorance" by refusing to see top secret foreign intelligence Johnston used in his report. He suggests this isn't serious leadership.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Trudeau says now that public protests are important in democracy, but "using protests to demand changes to public policy is something that I think is worrisome."
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Canada's Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau says the country will supply Ukraine with anti-tank weapons systems and "upgraded" ammunition. He says Canadian military will also help transport supplies and aid with NATO.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
5 years
"As early as 2021, Canada will ban harmful single use plastics from coast-to-coast-to-coast." He says approach to name which products this affects will be based on science and consistent with other countries.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
That lawsuit, btw, is for damages on behalf of downtown Ottawa residents, businesses and workers.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Trudeau prompts standing ovation from both sides of the House as he tells @ZelenskyyUa that democracies around the world are lucky to have him as their champion. He says the Ukrainian president is risking his life to protect the pillars of all democratic countries.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
"Clearly the court can conclude she does not know the accused, and her being proposed as a surety is like one thief being tasked to supervise another burglar."
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
9 years
Who's Kris Wu? Seems to be the only celeb with fans in the building. People have placards professing their love for Wu. #NBAAllStarWeekend
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
He says the Crown is seeking a "significant" jail sentence for King.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
9 years
Kris Wu!!!
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Starting the day with an emailed death threat for our coverage of the #EmergenciesActInquiry .
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
1 year
We tried to ask Trudeau about Chong’s statement that the PM’s national security adviser knew about the alleged Chinese targeting of Chong’s family. He said no comment and walked off.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
"You cannot plan to start a fire, start a fire, add fuel to it, and when the fire spreads say, oh my, that's the impact?" Karimjee says, anticipating a potential argument from defence about King's intentions with the protest.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Karimjee says King has expressed violence, and that to release him to "another member of the occupation" would raise questions about the administration of justice.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
"The court should detain the accused," Karimjee says. "There is no stretch of the imagination in which this is constitutionally protected conduct."
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
If he's not detained, "what's the message" sent? Karimjee asks. He says it would "make a mockery of our justice system."
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
9 years
Special thanks to the army of Kris Wu fans for educating me about their idol. Chinese-Canadian actor. Handsome devil. All round dope guy.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Deleted previous tweet to avoid any chance of breaching pub ban. Pat King is now being charged with obstruction of justice and perjury and his bail review hearing has been adjourned. King is trying to get out on bail after his first effort was denied. Been jailed since mid-Feb
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
"We have somebody who has participated in the very criminal activity that Mr. King is charged with, and is being offered as a surety," Karimjee says.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Seymour says he is therefore agreeing King should be detained based on grounds that he would likely reoffend in a way that would endanger public safety/peace.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
"This person is self-centred. This person does not care about the pain that's imposed on others. This person is not controllable by any court order," Karimjee says.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
3 years
NDP Leader @theJagmeetSingh says his party will support the gov't's use of the Emergencies Act to address the #freedomconvoy situation. He says he wants these powers to be used to lift the "siege" in Ottawa and ensure the borders "are not locked down ever again."
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Seymour notes the irony that King, who protested pandemic health measures, was resorting to that argument.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
3 years
@JonathanRose @TorontoStar Hey @jonathanrose , I hear you. Queen's University put my undergraduate degree behind a paywall too. Took years to pay that one off.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
"There is no doubt here on conviction you are certainly facing a potentially lengthy term of imprisonment," the judge says.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
He's referring again to a mother from Kamloops that got her account frozen for donating to the convoy. (Wasn't that revealed to be not true? I am honestly asking)
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
11 months
The moment Ukrainian Oresident @ZelenskyyUa walked into the House of Commons.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
"The occupation of the capital of Canada is more than just serious," Karimjee says. "It has never happened in the history of Canada."
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Karimjee also says the victims in this case were vulnerable. Points to King's video of him laughing about how Ottawans couldn't sleep because of the honking. "Mr. King knew that they were vulnerable, that he had subjected them to torture."
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Enterprise Canada responds to Brendan Miller's allegation that one of its employees was carrying a Nazi flag during the convoy protest. They deny this unequivocally, call the accusation "absurd and despicable" and note they are reviewing "legal options."
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
"In this case there is no doubt," Karimjee says, that the "noise torture" in downtown Ottawa was "planned. It was the very intention expressed by Mr. King."
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
"He is a self-appointed judge of what is acceptable and not, and I would respectfully submit that the surety" -- Kerry Komix -- "is in the same bucket."
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
3 years
A class action lawsuit has been launched seeking $9.8 million in damages from four #FreedomConvoy organizers and the drivers of 60 semis parked in Ottawa. It alleges the campaign of honking and blaring horns "non-stop, all day" is unlawfully and unreasonably disrupting lives.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Karimjee also cites impacts on workers in Rideau Centre, which was closed through the occupation. "In this case, with the evidence that the court has heard, and the plan that's being proposed" for King's bail, to release him would jeopardize confidence in justice system.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
3 years
Me and @R_SPatel got yelled at by a hostile convoy protester. He was filming a trucker, and got angry when we told him we were from the @torontostar . He accused us of spewing lies and said we should have "Xs" on our backs.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Karimjee then references another video in which King is talking about retreating from the occupation to regroup and then come back again. "How can this court have any confidence that somehow your honour's order is going to be special?"
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Karimjee says the allegations against King indicate there is a substantial likelihood of him reoffending if he's released on bail.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
9 years
Man people love this Kris Wu guy.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
He says King and Komix were both part of the occupation for weeks, despite calls from gov't and cops to get out.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Paul Champ, lawyer for Ottawa residents and businesses, raises this text message from Mendicino's chief of staff to a local city councillor. Relates a story that someone was threatened of rape for wearing a mask during the occupation.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
5 years
New poll shows NDP ‘surge’ and major bump in approval for Jagmeet Singh #elxn43 via @torontostar
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Technical difficulties. There are too many people on the zoom call for the hearing. So they're ending it and restarting. Asking people to wait a minute so lawyers can get in. Hopefully I don't get booted. Media also trying to do its job here..
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Karimjee argues Komix was not being truthful about her role in fundraising for the convoy through cryptocurrency. "The only inference that can be made is that that action... indicates that she, again, is part of the club of the ends justifying the means."
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Seymour says he will take "some time" to consider the matter. "I'm going to do everything in my power" to have a decision ASAP. Lots to go through, he says. Matter adjourned until Friday, #6 court in person at 1pm.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
The article includes a quote attributed to King: "You want to get to work? Good luck. Walk." Karimjee says that shows premeditation.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
"Just like he had no problem with inflicting pain on the citizens of Ottawa, and laughing sadistically at the citizens of Ottawa not being able to sleep," he stated his intention to disrupt transportation, Karimjee says.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Karimjee now references how Komix said she has only known King for four weeks. She also said she didn't know about King's "disgusting" and racist comments, and his suggestion that "this is going to end with bullets."
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
3 years
Marjorie George and her sister joined the counterprotest that is denouncing the #FreedomConvoy that has occupied city streets and blared horns for the last eight days. “We’re sick of our city being occupied,” George said. “We cannot believe the police haven’t got hold of this.”
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
3 years
The Green party just sent a notice to all members confirming it's involved in a legal proceeding relating to @AnnamiePaul . Story coming @TorontoStar #cdnpoli
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
I'm in. And King is in the courtroom. Kerry Komix is on the call. Resuming now.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
PM @JustinTrudeau announcing new sanctions against 10 Russians over the invasion of Ukraine. He says they come from Russian opposition figure Navalny's list of elites close to Vladimir Putin.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Karimjee reading now that the post says this initiative is a new donation platform for the convoy that was created by King, Komix and two others. It's described as crypto currency for truckers.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
5 years
Ontario's top court has ruled that the federal carbon price law is constitutional. Canada can legislate a mandatory carbon price under the "national concern" provision of the constitution, the court says. Full ruling here:
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
3 years
Pat King, one of the protest organizers, just streamed a video on Facebook. He calls on supporters to take cabs/ubers into the restricted zone in Ottawa, and to lie that they live or work there to get in.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Then it shows an image of Kerry Komix and labels her as a "Freedom Fighter." Komix says "that's me."
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
"We have a truck load of evidence from the accused person himself posting on social media," that shows concerns about releasing King on bail, Karimjee says.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
He quotes King using the term "art of war." Karimjee: He was at war with the city of Ottawa. "Noise was a form of torture." He says he can only describe King's laugh as "sadistic."
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Karimjee tells JP Seymour he thinks it's relevant because she is offering herself up as King's surety. Seymour tells Komix her finances are relevant to the court.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
He quotes the decision, in which it says using an unlawful act to express oneself is not protected under the charter.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
4 years
Bloc Leader @yfblanchet says he is willing to trigger an election and will table a non-confidence unless Trudeau, Morneau and Katie Telford resign. "Which is worse, keeping them and this gov't in place, or creating a temporary distortion in the management of the crisis?"
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Karimjee also notes King in another video asking people to lie to cops to get through checkpoints last week. "We have no evidence, given his prior statements... that he would comply with any court order," Karimjee says.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
"This has nothing to do with local protests. This is the offence of mischief," Karimjee says. "This was a clear, clear commission of a criminal offence."
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Karimjee, the Crown, asking King be barred from communicating with Tamara Lich, George Billings and Chris Barber, Daniel Bulford, and another name I didn't catch. Seymour agrees and orders King not to communicate with them.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Karimjee says the alleged offence is "at the extreme" end of seriousness. And even though police showed significant restraint, King asked supporters to lie to get past cops into the city, Karimjee says.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Karimjee points to an interview before the convoy arrived in Ottawa, in which King "declared his intention of shutting Ottawa down."
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Karimjee says not all mischief charges are alike. This is the occupation of the capital, the "infliction of noise torture," he says.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Good morning. Accused "Freedom Convoy" organizer Pat King is back in court this morning. Arrested last Friday, he wants to get out on at least $50k bail. We're expecting a decision from Justice of the Peace Andrew Seymour. Supposed to start at 10am. I'll be tweetin'.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Karimjee, the Crown lawyer, picks up on video he played that showed King asking protesters to lie to get past police checkpoints. "You indicated that you were not aware of that, correct?" "No," she says.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
"Freedom Convoy" organizer Tamara Lich is scheduled to appear in Ottawa court this morning for allegedly breaching her bail conditions. She faces a slew of charges related to her role in the protest occupation around Parl. Hill this winter.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
"I cannot be reassured that if I release you into our community you will not re-offend," judge says. She says there was a "disturbing" and "secretive" aspect to her and her husband's testimony on their financial situation.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Karimjee now pulls up a court decision from 1991, in which Justice Fournier determined an accused's commitment of an unlawful act was not protected under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
"You obviously don't condone lying to police officers." Komix says no, it's not in your best interest. When pressed, she agrees it's also wrong.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
They're going on a break for 15 minutes. I'll start a new thread for the last bit.
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
Karimjee brings up another video. It's from a Facebook post. It shows a bunch of convoy images selling something called a "FCT" which is a "Freedom Convoy Token." It then shows Pat King as a "founder"
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
5 years
Tried to do my public duty by asking the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien to weigh in on the SNC-Lavalin controversy. "I am not a Monday morning quarterback," he quipped, and gently pushed me away. One of the most fun "no comments" I've had in a while. #cdnpoli
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@aballinga
Alex Ballingall 🫨
2 years
"The fact that you were not forthwith and candid" about it also raises questions. Judge mentions how Lich's husband refused to say who paid for his private plane to Ottawa.
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