Mouvement Montreal candidate fired over controversial social media posts
A Mouvement Montreal candidate has been dropped from the party roster for posting several controversial images and statements to social media.
Mouvement Montreal leader Balarama Holness says he fired Marc-Andre Bahl on Friday. Bahl had been a member of Ralliement pour Montréal before the two parties merged.
Bahl, who had been the party's candidate for Rosemont – La Petite-Patrie, wrote to social media in one such post that "Islamophobia is not racism," above a screenshot which reads "all ideologies must be open to debate without fear of reprisal."
Above the caption, an image shows symbols associated with Christianity, Judaism, and Islam mixed with those related to Nazism and satanism.
An image posted to social media by former Mouvement Montreal candidate Marc-Andre Bahl reads "Islamophobia is not racism".
An image posted to social media by former Mouvement Montreal candidate Marc-Andre Bahl reads "Islamophobia is not racism."
In another post, Bahl encourages readers to watch "Hold up" -- a French film about the COVID-19 pandemic which has been criticized for spreading misleading information.
Holness told CTV News Friday that he had only become aware of the posts earlier that day, and that he "unequivocally" rejects the sentiments expressed by the candidate.
The party leader says he'll now vet the other candidates which entered the party by way of Ralliement pour Montréal.
Holness's opponent, Valerie Plante, took to social media Friday to criticize Bahl.
"The conspiratorial, anti-Semitic and Islamophobic remarks made by several candidates of Mouvement Montreal are not acceptable," wrote Plante, adding Holness and former Ralliement pour Montréal leader Marc-Antoine Desjardins "must show leadership and manage their caucus."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
NEW 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire': A crowd pleaser that turns it up to 11
Hot on the heels of last year's 'Godzilla Minus One' comes 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,' the first ever Academy Award winner in the giant reptile's decades-long film career.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.