Ottawa police assault Rebel reporters, but investigate protesters for yelling at mainstream media

What a humdinger of a press conference held last Sunday afternoon at Ottawa police headquarters. When it was my turn to pose a question to Interim Chief Steve Bell, I simply asked him how it was that my colleague and friend, Alexa Lavoie, was shot point blank with a tear gas canister on Saturday simply for practicing journalism in the public square.

Chief Bell’s answer stunned me.

Said Bell: “I’m unfamiliar with the incident you are speaking of.”

Say what?

How is it possible that a veteran law enforcement professional would be unaware of this outrageous incident? Indeed, Alexa’s assault has received worldwide media attention (although — shockers! — almost zero attention from the government-sanctioned media stenographers stationed here in Canada).

Is Chief Bell really that clueless? Or should his Sgt. Shultz-inspired answer of, “I saw nothing! I know nothing!” be taken with a shovelful of salt?

And in the department of adding insult to injury, get this: after question period concluded, Bell ended the press conference by noting that it had come to his attention that some (mainstream media) journalists had been heckled by the Freedom Convoy demonstrators.

Oh my God! You mean to say someone uttered a slur at CTV’s Evan “Soy Boy” Solomon, thereby hurting his feelings? Well, not to worry.

Bell said investigations have already been launched regarding those state-funded journalists who were so cruelly subjected to naughty language from the assorted “deplorables” and “yahoos” who were supporters of the Freedom Convoy.

And as for Alexa Lavoie’s case? Well as the saying goes: Nothing to see here, folks; move along, move along.