The events of the past few days in Ottawa have sparked their share of fake news abroad. Even the prestigious New York Times is accused of sharing inaccurate information after suggesting on Saturday that police had threatened protesters with their weapons during their arrest.
On social networks, several well-known journalists from English Canada have criticized the New York Times of having lacked rigor and firmly denied that the Freedom Convoy demonstrators had been ordered to leave Parliament Hill with a gun pointed at them, as the famous American daily might suggest.
“The embarrassing cover of the New York Times demonstrations in Ottawa has damaged their credibility”, in particular denounced on Twitter Global News reporter Ahmar Khan.
Asked by The duty, Ottawa police say a police operation took place on Saturday morning in a car parked near the parliament building that contained tear gas and fireworks. The members of the Tactical Unit carried their rifles in full view during this intervention. But the municipal police department does not say whether their weapon was pointed at those arrested inside.
Framing reviews
In his article, the New York Times seems to refer to this event. One of the arrested men is quoted in the text as saying the policeman pointed his “military” rifle at his chest before yelling at him to get down.
However, the publication that accompanies the article on social networks may lead the reader to think that the use of weapons was much more widespread during the dismantling this weekend of the trucking convoy. “Police have arrested protesters at gunpoint near the Parliament Building in Ottawa in an effort to end protests that have been going on for weeks,” the official’s Twitter and Facebook accounts read. New York Times Monday afternoon.
The daily’s coverage offended political scientist Stéphanie Chouinard, a professor at Queen’s University. To the point of terminating his subscription to the newspaper in stride.
“Certainly, armed police were on site, and videos circulated showing police entering recreational vehicles with long guns. But in no case was the process of repelling the protesters done by using firearms in the face of the latter, which was understood by the headline of the article,” she stressed. to justify his decision.
Called to explain his coverage of events in Ottawa, the New York Times, one of the most respected newspapers in the world, says it maintains its version of the facts. In an email sent to Homeworkwe are assured that the words of the article were based on the testimonies of journalists on the spot.