Yesterday @TDubOntario did yeoman's service in their coverage of the ongoing Pat King Leg protests (er... sorry... "gathering"). If you are interested in learning more about Pat's singing voice, take a look. 1/
Now during his live feed, someone posted the following question regarding the Wet’suwet’en Nation. @TDubOntario also included the question in their thread. 2/
For some background, @APTNNews posted the following backgrounder:
"They’ve been fighting for ownership of their language, culture and land since the day colonizers stepped foot on their territory" 3/
So, did Pat support the Wet’suwet’en Nation's blockade of GasLink and the subsequent protests in solidarity from other bands?
Let's explore that question in painfully minute detail, shall wee? 4/
First, lets look briefly at events on Friday (October 22) where King claimed the courts sided with the protest... er... "spiritual gathering". 5/
Now we need to remember that Pat's reading of court rulings and decisions are dubious at best because (a) he can't read court documents (remember how he "proved" Covid hadn't been isolated but actually didn't?) and (b) he is a chronic liar. 6/
By Saturday morning however, it seems that Pat's confidence had been replaced because, once again, he probably didn't understand what the courts said.
Here he claims that the authorities can do nothing against non-violent protesters. 7/
He discusses the sanctity of sacred ground and how it is inviolable (though he would never use that word as he would never understand the meaning). 8/
He continues to insist that the @AlbertaSheriffs and @edmontonpolice are enjoined from ousting the protest based on the Crown's orders and that the protesters could charge them for violating a court order. 9/
Pat appears to believe that the presence of the protesters and their cause has turned the Leg grounds into "holy ground" and that to remove them is a gross violation of religious freedoms. 10/
And finally, apparently the authorities are now Free Masons because this is Pat King and he needs to believe he is opposing powerful forces so his ultimate victory will be recorded for posterity.
You know I'm right. 11/
Now most of this is background noise.
What I really want people to get from this and other videos Pat has posted are the following assertions. 12/
1. Total FNMI sovereignty over the land. 2. The importance of the sacredness of the land. 3. Authorities can't touch peaceful protesters and civil disobedience is an acceptable form of protest. 13/
You know, the very activities engaged in by the Wet’suwet’en Nation in their blockade of GasLink and the protests and blockades held in solidarity in early 2020. 14/
@TDubOntario noted in their thread a brief reference to an old video video from February 19, 2020 in which Pat makes his views about the Wet’suwet’en blockade and solidarity protests very clear. 15/
Now I couldn't find that video in my collection, however I found another video in which he promises to "expose the Wet’suwet’en" that I think is more damning. 16/
The "smoking gun" for Pat here is what he suggests is a connection to the Tides Foundation. 17/
The Tides Foundation is the Boogeyman for many on the far-right. Claiming it is connected to George Soros, they believe it is a malevolent entity whose aim is the destruction of the energy industry. 18/
Tides Canada, which isn't connected to the Tides Foundation, has been targeted by both Jason Kenney and Ezra Levant of "The Rebel." 19/
So let's take a look at the video Pat will declare a smoking gun.
Notice too his claim that the protesters are "paid", a common assertion by those on the right aiming to delegitimatize their cause. 21/
The second part has said "smoking gun" which King seems to believe is the true origin of the blockades. 22/
Though in February 2020 he wanted this video "shared out to the masses" I'm not sure that October 2021 Pat really wants people to know he referred to FNMI as "sons a' bitches" or that he condemned the idea of civil disobedience. 23/
But don't worry. Here we have Pat claiming he really does respect Native culture. As evidence he provides generalized and meaningless platitudes.
However, I can't help but hear an inferred, "but" which will be even more clear as we continue. 24/
He KNOWS the one gentleman is lying because he KNOWS that they don't need NGO funds to test water quality since "First Nations have first dibs... at any funds from the Canadian government"
Since this is the 25th tweet in the thread, I will continue once these are posted. 25/
So we have established he isn't actually a fan of civil disobedience when it comes to causes he doesn't agree with.
How about the sacredness of the land?
He might provide the whitest and most tone deaf answer to that particular question here where he demands proof. 26/
In a rant complaining about paid protesters and civil disobedience, we have the first of what will be many pleas for violence against the blockades in urging vigilantism.
So much for the "you can't touch peaceful protests" claim made by Pat now. 27/
"... even these Mohawks out east and the ones in Edmonton..."
Uhm, does Pat REALLY want this video to go viral? 28/
Pat urges more violence to be committed against the FNMI blockade and protesters. 29/
If people don't tear down the blockades, people with starve in two days apparently and brother will attack brother for a slice of bread.
Yeah, no melodrama here. 30/
31/
Pat would "TOTALLY be there with you as you commit acts of violence against peaceful protesters, including hitting them with 2x4s, but his leg you know... 32/
While Pat here claims to be practically a bodhisattva (look it up Pat), he once again shows how little he supports peaceful civil disobedience if it isn't a cause he actually supports himself and his willingness to use violence to end it. 33/
"Escape goat."
That's it ladies and gentlemen, we have achieved peak Pat King! 34/
35/
Also, a reminder not to learn your science from Pat King Part One. 36/
And a reminder not to learn your science from Pat King Part Two. 37/
The Zen of Pat. 38/
Pat continues to urge vigilante actions against the Wet’suwet’en Nation and solidarity protests.
"If the police are not going to do their job then its the civilian's right to protect civilians." 39/
He urges people to film themselves tearing down the barricades.
"Make sure you have copies when you are doing it so there is no way that they can spin it saying you got violent or that you hit them first. Get out there. Break these barricades down." 40/
I mean, he would TOTALLY do it himself but again, you know, his leg... 41/
At this point, I feel I sort of need to share this admittedly out of context (but not really out of context) clip of Pat from earlier in his Edmonton Leg protest. 42/
We now have mention of Jaime Knyx's awful "Citizen Soldier" song in reference to (and more significantly given the context of Pat's topic) the Oka standoff. 42/
"I'm going to put this message out to every single one of you guys. Take them down! Take every fucking one of them down! Get out there Saturday morning! Fuck things up!" 44/
Also, I would ask if he really thinks the government conspired to trick him to drunkenly fall off his roof and have it amputated years later because he didn't take care of it as a means to prevent his activism now, but we all already know that answer. 45/
He finishes by urging people to "take their country back."
"Go do it!" 46/
So, Pat's support now for civil disobedience, First Nations' sovereignty, the sacredness of the land, and peaceful protest?
Suffice it to say it all seems very disingenuous to me.
1. By now I'm guessing that most of my Twitter followers are aware of the most recent threats against Trudeau and the subsequent of a suspect. I think there is an even more important story though related to the poisonous influence of social media
2. Dawid Zalewski was arrested for making death threats against the Prime Minister. The following video was posted to his second Facebook profile. Be warned that it may be triggering as it promotes graphic violence against the PM and others.
3. Zalewski is clearly not well, but I think would be wrong to dismissively call him "crazy" move on without further examination. There is a reason why he got to this point and I believe we can learn a great deal from his social media footprint.
1. I’ve been enjoying my summer break and have not been paying a lick of attention to the Olympics. Until today however since Twitter has collectively lost the plot.
2. Earlier boxer Imane Khelif defeated her Italian opponent in the first round when Angela Carini quit after 45 seconds stating that she had never been hit so hard.
To be fair, I don’t enjoy being punched in the face either so I can at least sympathize with Carini.
3. Now a preliminary fight would never be important enough to make international news under normal circumstances however we are, as the saying goes, living in interesting times.
1. Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) was arrested in Calgary on an immigration warrant apparently. He may have since been released, though he has to turn in his passport and remain in southern Alberta.
I'd prefer that he be kicked out immediately.
2. Despite claiming to have been a "political prisoner" many of Yaxley-Lennon's criminal convictions his Islamophobic "activism" and a number of convictions since have had nothing to do with his political views.
3. In 2005, he was convicted assaulting a police officer who intervened during an argument Yaxley-Lennon was having with his then girlfriend.
1/ It's been a while since I've done a thread here, but the recent focus on Pat King got me to wondering what was up with his own Salacious Crumb, Tyson "Freedom George" Billings.
2/ Last time I looked at Billings he was a part of the efforts to set up a permenant camp outside Ottawa so there could be daily protests, though the original plan involved surrounding the police and arresting politicians.
Suffice to say it didn't go anywhere.
3/ Billings and Ron Clark soon headed home, but they both soon got involved in other protests including the anti-carbon tax protests occurring in the province. The numbers at these events have been small but that hasn't stopped from politicians from courting the fringes it seems.
1/ Though I'm not especially active these days, I'm still sometimes gobsmacked by some of the ridiculous (though sadly effective) rage farming by some on the right. Harrison Faulkner of "True North" is just a recent example of that.
2/ So a bit of background. Musical artist Karan Aujla won the 2024 TikTok Juno Fan Choice Award at the award ceremony this past weekend.
I think it was this weekend. Truth be told I don't pay a lot of attention to awards shows.
3/ It should be noted that Aujla has been in Canada for years emigrating as an orphan. He graduated from high school in Canada. The album was produced by a Canadian on a Canadian label.