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news
Vancouver cyclist smashes anti-mask protestor's car window.PNGCyclist uses bike to smash COVID conspiracy theorist's car window
A Vancouver cyclist who used his bike to smash the window of an SUV taking part in an anti-mask rally and from which a conspiracy theorist was haranguing passers-by may face criminal charges.
The incident, on the Canadian city’s Main Street, happened on Saturday 27 March with footage shot from inside the vehicle going viral on social media.
Greatest video ever! Obnoxious MAGA anti-masker spews disinformation on a bullhorn out his window, and a guy on a bike just wasn’t going to have it. pic.twitter.com/7t0lyLTbLy
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) March 31, 2021
Anti-mask protester Alex Lasarev, using a megaphone, sarcastically congratulates people for “following the narrative and trusting the news and not questioning anything.
Toronto-born Lasarev, who spent some time on the UK stand-up comedy circuit, continued his tirade, saying: “There’s definitely not a psychological operation happening when you’re convinced of a reality that’s based on fear that has nothing to do with what’s actually happen – ”
At that point, a man stepped forward and pushed away the megaphone, telling Lasarev to “Shut the f*ck up!”
The pair traded insults as the man put up his bike and pushed it towards the vehicle, with Lasarev continuing to address people on the street.
Three more heaves of the bike followed, the final one shattering the vehicle’s passenger window, which at this point had been closed electronically.
CTV News reported that Lasarev had previously featured in an online video in February shouting at employees of a camera store who had refused to serve him due to the fact he was not wearing a mask.
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/man-who-confronted-anti-masker-may-be-charged-with...
It added that Vancouver Police has recommended that charges of mischief and assault with a weapon be brought against a 52-year-old man in connection with last weekend’s incident.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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37 comments
"(Vancouver Police has recommended that charges of mischief and assault with a weapon be brought against a 52-year-old man in connection with last weekend’s incident)"
Since when have cops routinely persued such criminal actions against anyone intentionally using their personal mode of transport as a "weapon" to target their victim ?
Would cops persue a motorist, ramming the anti-mask protester's SUV, with an equal vigour?
Personally I'd have liked to have seen that megaphone shoved so far down his throat that every fart he makes from now on sounds like the wrath of Odin.
However, if we cannot condone drivers attacking cyclists doing something that annoys them, then we cannot condone matey boy launching a sustained physical attack whether he uses a bicycle as the weapon or not.
However, if we cannot condone drivers attacking cyclists doing something that annoys them, then we cannot condone matey boy launching a sustained physical attack whether he uses a bicycle as the weapon or not.
Correct! Morons like this driver should be ignored by the public, but should eventually be disciplined as a nuisance by the police for 'shouting from a moving vehicle'.
Be careful what you wish for.
You might just find that your right to protest in any way that inconveniences anyone else, including being caught voicing your protest in anything other than your calm indoor voice is suddenly illegal.
Why do Road.cc bother reporting such shite? Man with a bike has a go at somebody. Big whoop.
Why bother reading the article? Personally, I'm not interested in cycle racing so I just don't bother reading those articles - you can tell from the headline what kind of article it is.
What? You can do that?
I didn't read the article because, guess what, it's not cycling related. After all, this IS a cycling website, no?
Well, the article features a bike and I guess it was a slow news day. It just seems more effort to complain about their editorial choices than to just ignore the bits you don't care about.
I totally support freedom of speech, providing it is not committing a hate crime. (And if it is insulting then the audience should be consensual participants)
And I denounce the attack.
However is it just accepted that someone can use a megaphone to force their noise ( of whatever persuasion ) through the hands covering my ears, and straight into my consciousness.
I find the tannoy in Sainsbury's, telling what on which aisle to find discounted cabbage, intrusive enough.
Someone ramming their noise into my head is not going to be popular
Just put it on a T-shirt for goodness sake
In other words you totally support the limiting of freedom of speech. Don't be shy, just say what you mean.
Depends what you mean about free speech.
Do you mean I can't be prosecuted for voicing opinions that are unsavoury to others?
Our do you mean that I have the right to create a noise nuisance?
I wasn't referring to the man with the megaphone, only to the comment I quoted.
Aaaah, the libertarian realisation that free speech in absolute terms is a myth, and has never existed....
Hi
Yes I do only support freedom of speech where it is NOT committing a hate crime. So let's say I 99% support it, rather than "totally". Happy to clarify
( and on my other points...people equally should not have to listen to offensive-and-insulting-though-legal speech. And should not be assaulted with noise. Ie signpost the insulting free speech and do it where people can choose to attend or not. Or publish it. We can choose which newspapers we read. We should be able to choose which speakers we wish to listen to )
The guy with the megaphone might be obnoxious and he might be expressing some unpopular opinions but that doesn't excuse violence against him.
Hearing opinions we disagree with is the price we pay for the freedom to express our own opinions freely.
Much as I usually butt heads with you Rich, in principle on this one you're of course correct . I despise what you say, but I defend to the death your right to say it.
It's just,.... I can't muster any sympathy with the antivaxxer, and have a great deal of empathy with the rider. The anti-vaxxers aren't voicing a harmless opinion (which may just happen to be offensive). They are deliberately spreading lies for their own cynical ends, that have real life and death consequences for millions. The numpties that follow the AVs are also victims, but only in as much as extremists are victims of their groomers - they are still complicit in the death and horror that results.
So yes, actions leading to harm is wrong. That applies to the Antivaxxers too.
Here, here (or is it hear, hear?)
Apart from the death bit. I'll limit my support to the comment section of a website. That'll show 'em.
Here, here (or is it hear, hear?)
[/quote]
It's hear, hear.
Agreed.
I think it's reasonable for a society to ban anti-public health messages, but that should only be where someone is using their position to push known false statements *cough*Fox News*cough*. However rational people are unlikely to be persuaded by a MAGA rally, so they should be allowed to spout their rubbish without getting attacked.
There is the paradox of tolerance though (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_tolerance) so speech that incites violence or intolerance does sometimes need to be suppressed (I don't think it applies to this case though).
I'm pretty conflicted when it comes to freedom of speech.
I find the idea of a society with complete freedom of speech/expression very appealing but simultaneously I worry about the potential harm that could be done by a charismatic speaker with hateful views. Conversely I also worry about the harm that could be done by a government with the ability to punish anyone who didn't agree with their perspective.
Yeah, it's a fine line that needs to be trod between the two.
To my mind, the distinction is whether someone is expressing hate against people because of what they are versus expressing disagreement with what people are saying/doing. History is filled with examples of the former turning into genocide and there's plenty of examples of the latter leading to positive changes. It's the difference e.g. between hating motorists for being motorists or hating bad behaviour by some motorists. Another way of looking at it is whether someone is expressing a more specific complaint or a vague generalisation.
"Hearing opinions we disagree with is the price we pay for the freedom to express our own opinions freely."
I remember a bloke were I used to work he came in with a #FREETOMMY sign and sat in the canteen. After I stopped him getting battered he was sacked. I believe the manager agreed he had a right to free speech but suggested that, nevertheless, saying things has consequences.
I certainly admire you for protecting a man who was in danger, especially as you, I presume, in no way share his views.
I find it quite worrying that people so quickly resort to violence when encountering views they object to.
Is believing Tommy Robinson (I'm assuming this was the Tommy referred to) should not be in jail really so offensive? Is holding such a belief really a sackable offence?
I would imagine it would depend on where you are and who the audience is
I guess it'd be the link between Tommy, racism and islamophobia. I doubt it's just holding a belief, but making your beliefs known in a threatening fashion wouldn't go down well with HR and most businesses don't want to be associated with extremism. However, I don't know any details of this incident so I'm just guessing.
No excuse for that voilence. The douche on the bike is BANG out of order. Why is everyone so upset over words theses days? when I was in school, we were MADE to chant "sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will NEVER hurt me". So much pointless violence would be avoided if people could remember that.
The guy in the car DID threaten to kick him in the head though. Cyclist was just getting the window glass out of the way so he could have a fair crack at it, his first attempt with the leg out the window was weak 😉
Pointless comment. Totally irrelevant to this context.
1. Calling you names at school is hardly akin to driving around a city spreading misinformation.
2. Bit hard to chant at someone leaning out of a car with a megaphone.
I wonder if anyone has totted up the number of deaths caused by anti-vaxxers so far.... On my to do list
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