People’s Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier has been arrested by Manitoba police during his tour of the province, according to a source within the party.
The former Harper cabinet minister and populist leader has been touring the country in the lead up to the expected federal election refused to quarantine upon arriving in Manitoba. Police followed Bernier and his staff after an event in Niverville and issued him a fine for violating the province’s public health orders.
According to Daniel Tyrie, the executive director of the People’s Party, “[Police] advised him that if he went forward with the next event he will likely be fined again, and persistent violations will result in an arrest.”
Apparently that arrest ended up happening in the early afternoon before he could hold a rally that evening.
MAD MAX MANITOBA TOUR
Just got another ticket for my presence at the Niverville event, and the officer warned me that I could be arrested if I go to other rallies.
Section 2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:
(c) freedom of peaceful assembly; pic.twitter.com/RGAxZUhQZy— Maxime Bernier (@MaximeBernier) June 11, 2021
The scheduled trip is part of Bernier’s country-wide campaign to address Canadians’ concerns over persistent, oppressive lockdowns, the overall ineptitude of both the federal and provincial governments, and the Orwellian rollouts of vaccine passports.
Bernier’s campaign began in mid-April when he attended an anti-lockdown freedom rally in Barrie, Ontario. There he spoke to a large audience and garnered moderate media attention.
More recently, he visited both Edmonton and Vancouver. During his stay in Edmonton, he and hundreds of supporters protested outside Alberta’s legislature to call for a complete end to the lockdowns. In Vancouver, he openly ignored restrictions placed on restaurants and gave an indoor speech.
According to Bernier, on June 10 he was alerted by Mike Leblanc, the manager of the Health Protection Unit with the Manitoba Department of Health, that he will be forced to quarantine for either two weeks or the duration of his visit to the province, or face arrest.
I received a letter from Mike Leblanc, manager of the Health Protection Unit with the Manitoba Department of Health.
He says I cannot attend rallies and have to self-quarantine at my hotel for the whole duration of my stay.
I will not surrender my constitutional rights. pic.twitter.com/CD8iq0sEBg
— Maxime Bernier (@MaximeBernier) June 10, 2021
This forced quarantine is, of course, a violation of Bernier’s constitutional rights as dictated by The Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Specifically, Section 6(2) and Section 6(3) of The Charter guarantees the right of all Canadians to interprovincial travel, whether for employment, residence, or some other reason.
The letter Bernier received states that “All indoor or outdoor gatherings on private or public property are prohibited. You are not permitted to attend the rallies in either Winkler or Winnipeg. Doing so is in contravention of the laws of Manitoba”.
Bernier now joins the ranks of the other politicians who have shown gusto in their defiance of the anti-freedom lockdowns. This shortlist includes MP Derek Sloan and MPP Randy Hillier, who were arrested and charged in April for organizing and attending a church service in Ontario, with Hiller receiving his second charge in less than a year.
