Barrie Injured Group

Peer support for injured workers in Simcoe County,Barrie District in fighting WSIB injustice and for a new human centred society. monthly meetings 7058182065

[Alex Tyrrell @AlexTyrrellPVQ]

- Yves is Free: My Initial Thoughts -

I have had time to decompress after a long day in court and an intense five-day ordeal involving Canada’s most recent political prisoner.

Here are my thoughts:

Yves Engler should never have been arrested. Responding to hateful and racist Zionist material on Twitter is not a crime in Canada. Challenging hate-based narratives is a noble cause. Yves Engler is a hero and deserves everyone’s support.

Today in court, I watched as the prosecution struggled to find arguments to justify limiting his freedom to speak publicly about the case. The prosecution reviewed the evidence for about twenty minutes—essentially, they had 72 tweets that Yves had written in response to hate-based, anti-Palestinian content from Zionist influencer Dalila Kurtz. They also claimed that the case had been closed by police without any action taken (not even a warning) until Conservative Party of Canada candidate Neil Oberman took up the case and pressured the police into laying friviolous charges.

As the prosecution presented their case—reading through the conditions they were seeking, the chronological order of events, and the nature of the tweets—the judge intervened and asked if they had considered a less restrictive set of conditions. She described the prosecution’s proposal—that he should not be allowed to refer indirectly to the influencer anywhere—as overly broad. She suggested that a solution coud be to allow Yves to name the influencer and continue criticizing the influencer’s hate speech, while protecting the influencer from alleged harassment, by requiring Yves not to tag her in his posts or respond directly to hers. Yves nodded in agreement from the prisoners’ box, and the judge suspended the hearing to allow time for an agreement to be reached. When proceedings reconvened, everyone agreed that simply not tagging the influencer—along with some other basic, routine conditions—would be sufficient. Consequently, the judge ordered the guards to free Yves, which they did about 2.5 hours later. A group of us were waiting for him outside, and he lead a few cheers for the crowd including Free Palestine! before driving off with his dad to see his young children and wife.

It was a surreal debate in the courtroom today about online disagreements, but this time involving a renowned author and political figure sitting in the prisoners’ box of a criminal court, wearing handcuffs and leg restraints after five days in jail and facing four serious criminal charges. Conservative Party candidate Neil Oberman, who initiated this whole ordeal, was watching the proceedings by video link and appeared on the screen. He is the same wacko lawyer who attempted to obtain an injunction to force the police to dismantle the McGill encampment—but he failed miserably. A real loser. He lost that case because he did not have the evidence to support his claims, and he will certainly lose this frivolous, ridiculous, and completely unsubstantiated case against Yves Engler. He will probably lose the federal election as well.

The police should never have given in to the pressure and agreed to pursue Neil Oberman’s politically motivated hate campaign—a campaign aimed at appearing more Zionist than his local Liberal opponent, the ultra-genocidal nutcase Anthony Housefauther. These two idiots are trying to outcompete each other as the “most Zionist candidate” in the Mount Royal district. They will stop at nothing.

The Conservative Party of Canada, under the leadership of Pierre Poilievre, has adopted a radically oppressive narrative as to how people who support Palestine should be treated in this country. Conservatives are ready to destroy freedom of speech, throw people in jail for frivolous and unsubstantiated false allegations. Poilievre has even called for the deportation of pro-Palestine protesters. All of these individuals are racists, anti-Palestinian, and should never be elected to the federal government.

#FreeYvesEngler #cdnpoli

[Yves Engler @EnglerYves]

Free speech win. After spending five days in jail I was released without restrictions on my ability to discuss the charges brought against me. The judge effectively forced the crown to drop its bid to muzzle me.
Why did an author spend five days in jail to be allowed to write about the charges brought against him for criticizing Israel & the police? Why was I initially charged for social media post criticizing Israel? Why are the police claiming my writing about the case amounts to harassing them?
The crown should immediately drop all charges against me, apologize & compensate me for my imprisonment

[Barrie Injured Group @BarrieInjured]

@mileslunn @iamkennethchan CEO a Zionist funding Israeli soldiers through Canada . Zionism is racism.

[Yves Engler @EnglerYves]

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, Madame Freeland. Chrystia Freeland’s resignation from cabinet is a small win for all those who wish Canada would take a more independent foreign policy and not simply toady to the Americans.
A year after becoming prime minister, Justin Trudeau replaced foreign affairs minister Stéphane Dion, who represented a less pro-military and Washington faction of the Canadian elite, with Freeland. When she became foreign minister, the US embassy in Ottawa sent a memo to the State Department in Washington entitled “Canada Adopts ‘America First’ Foreign Policy.” Uncovered through a freedom of information request by Jay Watts, the largely redacted cable concluded that Trudeau promoted Freeland “in large part because of her strong U.S. contacts” and that her “number one priority” was working closely with Washington.
Coordinating the bid to overthrow Venezuela’s government was the highest profile example of Freeland’s “America First” policy. In 2020 Venezuelan foreign affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza pointed out that the Trudeau government’s Venezuela policy took a sharply belligerent turn after Freeland replaced Dion in January 2017. Freeland helped establish the Lima Group and participated in a half dozen meetings of the anti-Venezuelan government coalition. As the Globe and Mail reported, “Freeland spoke with Juan Guaidó to congratulate him on unifying opposition forces in Venezuela, two weeks before he declared himself interim president” in January 2019.
As part of her pro-Washington policy in the Hemisphere, Freeland also supported the ouster of Bolivia’s first indigenous president. Hours after the military command forced Evo Morales to resign on November 10, 2019, Freeland released a celebratory statement declaring, “Canada stands with Bolivia and the democratic will of its people.”
Ottawa provided significant support for the Organization of American States’ effort to discredit Bolivia’s 2019 vote, which fueled opposition protests and justified the coup. “Canada commends the invaluable work of the OAS audit mission in ensuring a fair and transparent process, which we supported financially and through our expertise”, noted Freeland at the time. But the OAS audit mission was designed to precipitate Morales ouster. A slew of studies demonstrated the partisan nature of the OAS audit mission and a year later Morales’ former finance minister, Luis Acre, won 55% of the vote for president and his MAS party took a large majority in the Congress.
Freeland is deeply anti-Palestinian. She’s attended multiple genocide rallies over the past fourteen months and declared that “Canada stands with Israel”. When I asked Freeland in April if she condemned Israel’s killing of 14,000 Palestinian children she declined to respond. During a visit to Israel in 2018 Freeland announced that should Canada win a seat on the United Nations Security Council, it would act as an “asset for Israel” on the Council.
Israel-first Liberal MP Anthony Housefather and his former colleague, turned Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center head, Michael Levitt, bemoaned her resignation. Levitt labeled Freeland’s resignation letter “a devastating blow to the Prime Minister”.
Freeland is particularly hawkish on Ukraine and the NATO proxy war. As finance minister she’s led the international charge to freeze $300 billion in Russian Central Bank assets and give them to Ukraine. Canada has pledged $5 billion to Ukraine that was taken from seized Russian assets. Freeland’s also repeatedly called for escalating the NATO proxy war and sending more arms to Ukraine.
Long before Russia’s February 2022 invasion, Freeland framed the smoldering fighting in eastern Ukraine as a global battle between good and evil. In November 2019 she declared that Ukraine was at the “forefront of the struggle between democracy and authoritarianism” and that “modern Ukraine is the country where the struggle is ongoing and the future of the rules-based international order and genuine democracy in the world will be determined.” But democracy has never been a genuine concern for the hardline nationalists in Freeland’s family. Her grandfather, Michael Chomiak, was a Ukrainian Nazi collaborator and propagandist during World War II.
When it comes to Freeland’s international policy the dominant media act like fawning sycophants, rather than serious journalists. Their portrayal of Freeland is often downright embarrassing. Expect that type of commentary in coming days.
Chrystia Freeland’s letter announcing her resignation suggests she’s seeking to push the Liberals further to the right. She’s likely hoping to force Justin Trudeau to resign so she can take the reins of the Liberal Party. A reminder that the Liberals can get even worse.
https://t.co/rnBndOVXKC

[Barrie Injured Group @BarrieInjured]

@McIntyrePPro @cafreeland You should run as an independent

[Barrie Injured Group @BarrieInjured]

@CanAnon7 @OFLabour @OntarioNDP @jamiewestndp @waltonmom @AhmadGaiedOFL @JackieOfl This about injured workers, June 1,May 1 us fir all workers internationally

[Barrie Injured Group @BarrieInjured]

@OFLabour @OntarioNDP @jamiewestndp @waltonmom @AhmadGaiedOFL @JackieOfl Stop handouts to businesses on the backs of injured workers, end deeming, listen to their doctors, stop unjust denials, that would be a victory and a reason to celebrate June 1 st Injured workers day.

[MichaelHurleyCUPE @HurleyOCHUCUPE]

From Queen's Park Today: 'Toronto Police report that around Safe Injection Sites, robberies in these neighbourhoods dropped by 40 per cent, break and enters were down 13 per cent, bike thefts fell 16 per cent, and shootings decreased by a whopping 57 per cent."

[Fred Hahn @FredHahnCUPE]

Safe injection sites save lives - the orwellian focus on "treatment" ignores all of the science, experience, & advice that says we need safe injection sites as part of a comprehensive & multi-pronged approach to the crisis - the Tory plan will see the majority of sites close

[Adam Bunch @TODreamsProject]

1. Today is Simcoe Day in Toronto. So let's talk about John Graves Simcoe & his strange, complicated relationship with slavery.

The founder of Toronto was a professed abolitionist... who also once fought a war to *preserve* slavery.

Here's my annual thread...

[Barrie Injured Group @BarrieInjured]

@PSidRyan Terrific
Thx

[Kristalina Georgieva @KGeorgieva]

Great to catch up with my friend 🇨🇦 Deputy PM @cafreeland at the #G20 meeting in Rio de Janeiro. Important opportunity to discuss the global economy and challenges ahead.

[Barrie Injured Group @BarrieInjured]

@MichelleLA1981 Leave them alone

[JP Hornick @JPHornick]

A huge congratulations are in order for the 10k #LCBO workers who organized a first ever strike & fought back against a bully govt who undermined them every step of the way. This deal is a testament to the sheer strength of solidarity - organizing for power gets the goods! ✊🏻

[TYR Labour Council @torontolabour]

MONDAY: @OFLabour is calling for an Emergency Solidarity Rally with the UofT encampment.
If they want to remove the students, they'll have to go thru the workers first.

⏰ Mon May 27th at 8AM
📍 People's Circle for Palestine (King's College Circle)
RSVP ➡️https://t.co/rCpAZrkpUb

[Barrie Injured Group @BarrieInjured]

@AndreaHorwath I call this Patriots Day!
The only monarchs we want in Canada are butterflies

[Barrie Injured Group @BarrieInjured]

@ONIWG Injured workers are humanity

[ONIWG @ONIWG]

This week's #InjuredWorkerStoryProject advocate video features Orlando, a community legal worker who has been fighting for #JusticeForInjuredWorkers for many years, and continues the fight to this day.

Have a listen and look here: https://t.co/pcuHfHmmwh

[Workers Health & Safety Centre @WHSCtraining]

“How would you feel if you kissed your loved one goodbye...not knowing it would be the last time?” This was the question @councillabour's Dan Tobin asked at a Cobourg #DayOfMourning event. Work injuries, disease and death are the thieves that rob us of our loved ones, Tobin said.