Canadian politician calls for terrorism inquiry into pie-throwing

Thursday, January 28, 2010

A Canadian politician has denounced the recent pie thrown in the face of Fisheries minister Gail Shea, calling for the government to investigate the incident as a potential act of terrorism. The pie was thrown by Emily McCoy, a New Yorker acting with tacit approval of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, to protest Shea's support of the Canadian seal hunt.

MP Gerry Byrne made the comments linking the incident to terrorism on a talk radio program on VOCM in his native Newfoundland on Tuesday. He said that an investigation into PETA was needed, as he believed the group's encouragement of direct action rather than political debate "does seem...to meet the test of a terrorist organization".

The conservative publication Canada Free Press endorsed Byrne's labeling of the incident, noting that "there is no difference between the motives of PETA and the motives of al-Qaeda [...] they both resort to violence and threats of violence in an attempt to get governments to change their policies."

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is scheduled to appear in Newfoundland on Friday, to address members of the Canadian Construction Association. The announcement prompted PETA to promise that an activist dressed as a baby seal will follow the leader around his speaking circuit with a sign reading "Harper: Stop the Seal Slaughter."

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Sources

"Are PETA pie throwers terrorists?" — Canada Free Press, January 28, 2010
"PETA Tracking Harper's NL Visit" — VOCM, January 28, 2010
John Lewandowski. "N.L. MP thinks pieing should be investigated under legal definition of terrorism" — Canadian Press, January 27, 2010
"Pie tossing is terrorism, MP says" — Toronto Star, January 26, 2010

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