Tommy Robinson in handcuffs and frogmarched into a van by a posse of eight police yet again. No surprise there, except that this time it's in Canada, under an 'outstanding Immigration warrant'. He spent the night in jail before being released, but has to hand in his passport, remain in southern Alberta, and is prohibited from leaving Canada. It's a bit odd that, don't you think? He is accused of breaking Canada's immigration laws - no specifics have been given at the time of writing - but he has to stay in Canada.
And he has to report to the police every two days, with all the indications being that this could last several weeks, meaning he will probably miss all his speaking engagements in Canada, the British election and perhaps the big rally against two-tier policing that he has planned in Trafalgar Square on 27 July.
It's all very unCanadian this. Arresting even illegal immigrants and marching them away in handcuffs is rare indeed, and Robinson's case might well be unique. Canada has tens of thousands of illegal immigrants from all over the world crossing its border with the USA every year. Trudeau has stated that he wants another one and a half million immigrants by 2025. Illegal immigrants are almost always treated very softly by the Canadian authorities, receiving health care and other social benefits, and are sheltered at government-paid hotels for extended periods. They can usually soon start working.
A New York Times carried a typical story, of a Nigerian woman, Mrs. Awulabah, who entered Canada illegally with her daughter. Mrs. Awulabah had fallen out with her husband and made her way legally to the US and then entered Canada without any checks. She later told the NYT “I was scared — I thought, after crossing the border, that I would have to find my way into town and see what I could do to help myself and my daughter”
But she needn't have worried, government officials gave her all the assistance she needed. "I was taken care of,” Mrs. Awulabah said. “Later, they said, ‘Don’t worry, you eat something.’ They gave us some drinks, snacks. I said, ‘God, are you serious?’” Her daughter now goes to school and Ms. Awulabah wants to move into an apartment as soon as she obtains a work permit while her asylum application is being processed.
But Tommy Robinson? He entered Canada legally, apparently being interviewed by immigration officials for a full three hours at the airport before being allowed to enter. Yet he gets surrounded by a gang of police who handcuff him and drag him away to a police van and locked up in jail. In Canada you get two-tier policing and two-tier immigration policy.
It's all very strange, as British citizens need to apply on-line for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) before travelling to Canada, and you cannot board an aircraft without showing your eTA to the airline. No details of why Robinson was arrested, except that it was under an outstanding Immigration warrant, and no doubt they will come up with something to justify his arrest, but after giving him an eTA and interviewing him for three hours on arrival, it is hard not to suspect that there might be a political agenda behind it. After all, Canada is leading the rest of us down the Road to Woke Serfdom.
You do not have to like or support Tommy Robinson to be outraged at the persecution and harassment he is subjected to, here and in Canada. Even those who oppose all he stands for should condemn the way the authorities treat him - if they are fair minded and believe in freedom and free speech. Sadly, too many on the Left, the self-proclaimed nice guys who always assume the moral high ground, do not. In fact, many gloat at the persecution of their political opponents. Far left activist Carol Voderman, for example, couldn't hide her glee at Robinson's arrest and suggested that he be sent to Rwanda. Sadly, all too typical of the illiberal, hate-filled Far Left. And they should note with some alarm that Robinson is rapidly becoming a martyr to many in the white working class, that section of society they fear the most.
In our view what they are doing to Robinson is plain wrong. It violates everything we ought to hold dear, his freedom, his right to free speech and put across his opinions without being persecuted by the forces of the State. We would be just as outraged if Left Wing or Muslim activists were subjected to similar treatment, as selective use of the law against people with political views the Establishment does not like is a very dangerous thing. It could easily be turned against the likes of Carol Vorderman, should things move on and her opinions become unpopular with the State. Freedom and free speech is for all - including Tommy Robinson.