OTTAWA - A Liberal MP says he believes the federal government should investigate whether the pieing of Fisheries Minister Gail Shea by a woman opposed to the seal hunt constitutes an act of terrorism.
Shea was delivering a speech Monday at the Canada Centre for Inland Waters in Burlington, Ont., when a woman stood up and pushed a tofu cream pie squarely into the minister's face.
The animal-rights group PETA later took responsibility for the incident. It said in a release that it was part of its campaign "to stop the government's ill-advised sanction of the slaughter of seals."
MP Gerry Byrne says he thinks what happened should be reviewed under the legal definition of terrorism.
"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," the member from Newfoundland and Labrador said in an interview from Ottawa with radio station VOCM in St. John's, N.L.
"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."
A spokesman for PETA could not immediately be reached for comment.
Shea said afterward that the incident only strengthens her resolve to defend the hunt.
Emily McCoy, 37, of New York City was taken into custody and charged with assault after the pieing.
After the tofu cream pie was pushed squarely into the minister's face, a woman started shouting as she was led away by officials.
"Shame on you Gail Shea. ... It is a shame on Canada. It is a shame that she has not denounced this bloody seal hunt," the woman yelled.
Shea, who represents a P.E.I. riding, didn't require medical attention and returned to the podium after wiping the pie from her face.
Politicians have often been targets for demonstrators wielding pies, some of whom went to jail.
Former prime minister Jean Chretien was hit in the face with a pie by a protester in Prince Edward Island in 2000. His attacker initially was given jail time but eventually received a conditional sentence.
A woman who missed Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach with a pie at the annual Calgary Stampede breakfast in 2007, and hit a security official instead, was sentenced to 30 days in jail.
So was a woman who threw a pie at Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier in the summer of 2007.
In 2003, a protester who hit then-Alberta premier Ralph Klein in the face with a pie at the Stampede breakfast was convicted of assault and ordered to serve a 30-day intermittent jail sentence.
Jean Charest got it in April 2003, two days before his Liberals ousted the Parti Quebecois and he was elected Quebec premier.
(VOCM)
Newfoundland and Labrador MP asks whether pieing is act of terrorism
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Comments
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- aggressive act
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:43:16
An act of aggression is an act of aggression. I agree with Gerry Bryne. Mrs. Shea could have lost an eye from the dummies big fingers or the material in the pie or the tray the pie was in or an allergic reaction from the ingredients in the pie. What is the matter with you idiots defending a low life that would do something like that to a lady like Mrs. Shea. Throw the book at the low life and the organization it belongs to and ban them from entering our country. The people that support actions like that are probably the same people that think child and wife abuse are okay. Smarten up and support your political representatives whether you agree with them or not they are still representing the majority of voters that is how they get there. If you think you can improve on that then get off your duff and get out to the meetings and display all your solutions in real life not sitting at your computers and critisizing every chance you get. Lead or get out of the way!!!!
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- Chelle
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:38:19
And here I thought Newfoundlanders were trying to shed that image of them that for sooooo many years has made them the brunt of soooooo many stupid jokes.
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- bill
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:34:27
what a political question!
(i was going to say dumb*)-
simply stated --- it is assault
* (dumb,dumber,dumbest,political) -
- crazy
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:34:01
Yeah, and when a protester chains themselves to a tree on private property (i.e. commits trespass) in an effort to stop logging, they'll be a terrorist too. Or someone who pickets (i.e. disturbing the peace with their slogan-shouting) while protesting unfit labour conditions, they will also be terrorists.
Give me a break. I personally don't like what the protestor did. I also have no objection to her being appropriately charged under the laws of the land. But to try and claim that it is terrorism is idiocy of the highest order. This is exactly the kind of ideological 'function creep' that people were worried about when some of the post 9-11 terror frenzy was in high gear.
At some point, common sense should prevail. -
- TA
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:31:49
Like so many words that had been intended to describe a certain person, hero, terrorist, etc, if misused take away the intended meaning. When describing someone who took action to help someone in distress, and that person did not face danger to himself, he should not be classified as a hero. It diminishes those who actually act heroically by putting themselves in harms way to help another person. Branding someone a terrorist for throwing a pie will have the same impact. Soon we will all be branded as a terrorist. Its an assault and nothing more committed for the sole purpose of getting into the headlines.
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- Possible
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:29:44
A clear message must be sent on this incident. I agree that a Canadian who might want to 'pie' an American politcian would likely be catagorized a terrorist. It is possible that some angry person with an agenda could put a poisonous substance, or worse (acid, etc) in the seemingly benign pie and hit a political figure to further a cause. It is wrong and should not be treated lightly. On the other hand...maybe I am a little more angry because the assaulter was an American...and they are the ones who like to say terrorists enter the US through Canada. Shoe on the other foot now folks?
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- Hillbilly
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:24:49
Is Bryne trying to score some points with the Tories here? This is not terrorism, plain and simple. Any suggestion otherwise is ridiculous.
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- Aongasha
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:20:44
What's interesting is this woman has been involved in other incidents in Canada but is a US citizen. No wonder people complain about the simplicity of entry into Canada. She should have been on a watch list surely. Or would that be too right wing for the loons?
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- nitpicker
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:17:45
here is a simple answer to Mr Byrne's question:
'Are you some kind of an idiot?' -
- Question
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:12:51
How did she get across the border with the pie?
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- Smithers
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:01:35
I'm with Mr.Byrnes....keep her out and make her a terrorist...If I had got caught for a DUI I couldn't get into the USA
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- I agree with TA
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:00:03
Let's not go off the deep end here!
We need to reserve the word Terrorist for it's rightful owner. A bomb carrier shouldn't be in the same category as a Pie Thrower, Fist Thrower or Shoe Thrower! We will be demeaning the horrific acts of violence committed by Terrorists and they'll then be either looking for lighter sentences or planning an attack in revenge for belittling their current status which they take great pride in holding!!
But, I also agree that Pie Throwing today could be more dangerous than it was in the past. Therefore, I believe our security should definitely be giving pies more attention! We have no way of knowing what might be in a Pie today given the current arsenal available! Not trying to instill fear in anyone here or sensationalize but we're past being able to take anything or anyone for granted today!
Our Security Officers need to be on full alert even for Pies! We have to perceive every act of violence even contemplated today in a What If fashion, prepare for the worst and hope for the Best outcome! Really, who could know for sure what might have been in that Pie? Especially given the Nut Jobs in our society today. I apologize for being so candid but unforunately It's True!
We need to Step Up Security for all Public Events! We've been blessed to be Canadians so far but we can't let allow ourselves to become complacent and let our Guard down! Hopefully we'll never have such situations but better to be prepared than not. -
- Stephen
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:57:53
S: (n) terrorism, act of terrorism, terrorist act (the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear)
I hate to say it but according to the definition of terrorism, they may have a point as stupid as a pie in the face is. I would not want to be on the end of a pie in the face that may be laced with something lethal or has something foreign in it. -
- share the pie
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:55:36
An American came over here to hit one of our politicians in the face with a pie.
What ? Did all their own pols go into hiding. I'm sure she must have had a pol or two at home worthy of at least a piece or two of that pie -
- Bud
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:48:14
Put the shoe on the other foot & let a Canadian go to the US & hit a senator. Then see what happens. Lock the bi--h up for a couple of years then deport her.
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- John
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:44:57
What would have happened if Minister Shea was alergic to either substances in that pieing, and she went into shock or something else, there would be hell to pay. This is definitely a terrorist act with no concern for the person being acted upon.
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- Jarrod
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:42:09
I don't agree with pieing elected officials...and I think PETA are mostly a bunch of left-leaning lunatics.
But I think a key mandatory component of terrorism.....is TERROR. I don't think anyone who's ever been or witnessed a pieing could say they feared for their life or limbs.
Let's keep the terrorism label for bombers, hijackers, gunmen and people who actually spread TERROR. -
- K
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:40:05
Youve got to be kidding me. This is rediculous. Worry about actual terrorism, jeez.
