OTTAWA (LifeSiteNews) – A lawyer for the Freedom Convoy has alleged the provocateur photographed holding a Nazi flag during the protest is a former Toronto Star manager and publicist.
The allegation was made during testimony at the Public Order Emergency Commission yesterday, wherein Freedom Convoy lawyer Brendan Miller also claimed that Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) director David Vigneault was aware of the identity of the Nazi flag holder.
“Have you identified the individual,” Miller asked Vigneault during cross-examination, adding, “I take it then, sir, that you know that individual was Brian Fox from Enterprise group?”
“I have not said anything in that respect. I have not testified to that, counsel,” answered Vigneault.
Miller then said, “You haven’t testified to it, but you know it to be true, don’t you?”
At this point, the commission’s judge, Paul Rouleau, interjected saying, “No, that is not a fair statement. If you’re going to make a statement, please make it.”
Fox, who is a former Toronto Star manager and publicist, now works as a publicist with the Toronto marketing company Enterprise Canada.
According to a statement from Enterprise Canada, the claims Fox was the Nazi flag holder are “unsubstantiated and deeply offensive,” adding that “There is no truth to this absurd accusation.”
Enterprise Canada also said that both it and Fox plan to “review all legal options and take swift action to defend against this unsubstantiated attack on the personal and professional reputation of Mr. Fox.”
The incident involving the person photographed carrying the Nazi flag took place on January 29, during the height of the Freedom Convoy.
It was used by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a reason to take action against the Freedom Convoy, who smeared the protesters as “a few people shouting and waving swastikas.”
Despite many independent media outlets and online sleuths trying to identify the individual, the person’s identity was never made known.
Freedom Convoy organizers completely rejected any connection to the flag holder.
In early October, it was shown that Trudeau’s claims associating the “Freedom Convoy” with Nazism were unfounded, as per official CSIS documents.
As for Miller, this Monday he gave the National Post additional evidence, such as a photography comparison of Fox’s face with the flag holder, which he claims proves who the Nazi-flag waiver is.
On Tuesday, Miller was ejected from the hearings after a heated exchange with Rouleau. Miller had asked Rouleau that Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino’s director of communications Alexander Cohen be called to testify. Mendicino himself was on the stand Tuesday.
The Public Order Emergency Commission hearings into Trudeau’s unprecedented use of the Emergencies Act (EA) to crush the Freedom Convoy began October 13 and are expected to last six weeks while hearing from at least 65 witnesses. Trudeau and others in his cabinet are testifying this week.
While Trudeau ultimately revoked the EA on February 23, under the EA, many Canadians who supported the Freedom Convoy were targeted by the federal government and even had their bank accounts frozen without a court order.