Twitter suspends account of Ontario MPP Randy Hillier
Posted March 8, 2022 3:11 pm.
Last Updated March 8, 2022 4:51 pm.
Twitter has suspended the account of Ontario MPP Randy Hillier following months of encouraging and supporting demonstrators of the “Freedom Convoy” as well as anti-COVID-19 rhetoric.
Twitter says Hillier violated its rules.
“Violence, harassment and other similar types of behaviour discourage people from expressing themselves, and ultimately diminish the value of global public conversation,” Twitter notes on its help center. “Our rules are to ensure all people can participate in the public conversation freely and safely.”
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Hillier has frequently posted misinformation and conspiracy theories. In addition to hosting and attending anti-COVID-19 rallies, Hillier was ticketed for allegedly breaking public health rules.
A vocal critic of Ontario’s COVID-19 rules and restrictions, in October of 2020, Hillier joined a crowd of people at Queen’s Park, telling them that “more than 99 per cent are not at risk of COVID. That’s a fact.”
“Doug Ford has used public opinion to remove our freedom and responsibilities. I’ve challenged [Ford] to send out a Toronto bylaw, send out Toronto police. I am the host. I am the organizer. Yes, I want them to exercise the unlawful laws that he has enacted,” Hillier chanted at the time.
Last November, Hillier was forced to apologize after using an array of photos from news articles to suggest — without evidence — that these individuals had died due to COVID-19 vaccinations. Premier Ford said he was disgusted and appalled by Hillier’s allegations, adding, “the guy’s lost his mind. I ignore him.”
Hillier recently received intense criticism for supporting and attending the Ottawa occupation by anti-vaccine mandate protesters. He appeared to urge people to jam 911 lines with non-emergency calls on Twitter, leading to Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson referring to him as a “complete disgrace.”
Last month, the Ontario legislature unanimously passed a motion barring him from the chamber and calling on him to apologize for what Government House Leader Paul Calandra called racist and discriminatory statements about federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra. Calandra accused Hillier of trying to incite violence with his social media posts.
Hillier has represented Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston since 2018. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Hillier was removed from the Progressive Conservative caucus and now sits as an independent.
Hillier announced last week that he would not seek re-election in June.
With files from John Marchesan of CityNews and The Canadian Press
