Categories: Need to know

Just call them al-PETA

Liberal MP wants animal rights group investigated as a terrorist organization

by macleans.ca on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 1:57pm - 13 Comments

A Newfoundland and Labrador MP wants Fisheries Minister Gail Shea’s pie-wielding attacker to be considered a terrorist. “When someone actually coaches or conducts criminal behaviour to impose a political agenda on each and every other citizen of Canada, that does seem to me to meet the test of a terrorist organization,” Liberal MP Gerry Byrne told a radio station in St. John’s. “I am calling on the Government of Canada to actually investigate whether or not this organization, PETA, is acting as a terrorist organization under the test that exists under Canadian law.” The animal rights group PETA immediately claimed responsibility for the pieing of Shea at an event in Burlington, Ont. In a release to the media, it claimed the stunt was part of a campaign, “to stop the government’s ill-advised sanction of the slaughter of seals.”

Canadian Press

Tags: Canada

http://my.opera.com/ZakMichigan/blog/ Jean Chicoine

Where is our country going when MPs like Gerry Byrne wants a pie-wielding attacker to be considered a terrorist? Down the drain, that's where.

Sask Resident

But the American assaulted a minister of the crown and should be charged accordingly. Just because you are a politician doesn't mean that society should allow open attacks on them.

Chretien would have either had her arrested for having the pie, like the Vancouver lawyer, or choked her down.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Skinny_Dipper Skinny Dipper

Hitting someone's face with a pie is definitely terrorism. It's anti-Piemitic.
http://intensedebate.com/people/craigola craigola

She has been charged, has she not?
Gary

Would someone in this country, say, MacDonalds, Walmart, Costco, Tim Hortons, someone please give these nuts from PETA a real job. Give them something valuable to do with their time. If not maybe they can enroll in a quilting class, or a wood burning class, or even a baking class… if not then please hook them up with a psychiatrist…maybe he or she can help rehabilitate them into society.
http://my.opera.com/ZakMichigan/blog/ Jean Chicoine

@ Sask Resident: There was assault, I don't dispute that, so let the Canadian law do its job. My point is: using a pie attack as ground to categorize Peta as a terrorist organisation is ludicrous. Let's keep a sense of perspective.
http://www.rogerkingkade.com Roger K

Agreed. Assault, sure. Terrorism, nope. However… Mr. Byrne's comment isn't what's sending Canada down the drain. We were a nation of p**sies long before this event. I don't advocate violence, but didn't it make you feel kinda… I dunno… badass when Chretien manhandled that attacker? Let's see some more of that.
http://my.opera.com/ZakMichigan/blog/ Jean Chicoine

Yes, I'd like to see some more of that me too. You're right, we lost that edge a while back.
http://race42008.com/2010/01/26/peta-the-terrorist-organization/ Nick

There is an opportunity for Canadians to put an end to the radical elements of leftist organizations.

Do it!
MBToday

I do not care who is doing the pieing, be it PETA, a comedian, or any other direct action sub-group, it is an assault. Let us prosecute the action, the act and frankly the political motive should not be a consideration in the courts. As for the implied insult…. that is for the chartering class.
fuddle duddle

did somebody say these peta people are from AL-PIE-DA
Jon T.

Sure pies are pathetic, but there is a mentality that considers criminal activity ok to promote an agenda and that is the same mentality found in terrorists, peta, various groups who interrupt traffic (strangely the first thing that comes to mind is a group of farmers blockading the trans-canada) and others. There is a right and wrong way to address problems in this world and if Canada tolerates organizations that endorse criminality of any sort they are lessening the value of debate and genuine democracy and increasing the motive for this type of behavior.
Wallhouse Wart

From the Guardian Jan. 26, 2010 – "Government officials have labelled environmental campaigners extremists and listed them alongside dissident Irish republican groups and terrorists inspired by al-Qaida in internal documents seen by the Guardian.

The guidance on extremism, produced by the Ministry of Justice, says: "The United Kingdom like many other countries faces a continuing threat from extremists who believe they can advance their aims by committing acts of terrorism."