The liberals have dropped Rod Loyola as a candidate of the Edmonton area in the federal election career, the last dismissal of the ranks of the party since the campaign began.
In a statement to CBC News Friday, party officials confirmed that Loyola is out of the race.
“Mr. Loyola is no longer our candidate for Edmonton Gateway,” said a party spokesman in the statement sent by email.
The party did not comment on his reasons to separate from Loyola.
The decision of the party to leave it as a candidate occurs after the National Post reported that they had found a 2009 video in which it seems to be praising Hezbollah and Hamas in an anti-ootan protest. Both appear as terrorist groups in Canada.
In a written statement, Loyola recognized his comments on the video and condemned Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023 to Israel.
“I did not think that an introduction in a hip-hop segment 16 years later would make myself ‘canceled’ after almost a decade of serving as an elected representative in the Alberta Legislative Assembly, but here we are,” said Loyola.
“I want to be clear: condemn by unequivocally brutal murders, terrorism and kidnapping, who does it.
“What was perpetrated by Hamas on October 7 was completely unacceptable and heartbreaking: the loss of an innocent life, regardless of race, faith or creed, is a loss for humanity.”
Loyola said he plans to run as an independent candidate in the driving of Edmonton-Southeast, where he originally wanted to run.
The video, published on YouTube 15 years ago, shows Loyola and a bandmate during an performance in the steps of Edmonton Churchill Plaza during what was described as a rally “Say no to NATO”.
Loyola is known for social activism and, before his time in the legislature, he was carried out as a rapper under the name of Rosouljah with a group known as the poets of the people.
When the set begins, Loyola thanks the crowd and talks about music, poetry and building a opposite culture to stop the dissemination of hatred and war throughout the world.
“Organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas are really trying to defend their people and that needs to be recognized,” Loyola tells the crowd.
“These are movements for national liberation. Non -terrorists.”
His time campaigning under the liberal banner was brief. Loyola, an ancient MLA of Alberta NDP, formally announced his campaign at the newly formed Edmonton Gateway who is driving nine days ago and celebrated his formal launch party on Saturday.
Loyola recently renounced his seat in Alberta’s legislature to run in Edmonton Gateway to run for liberals.
He was first chosen in 2015 and won his third term representing the provincial driving of Edmonton-Ellerslie two years ago. The resignation of Loyola of the Alberta Legislature entered into force at the end of March and will trigger a paralyzed election.
Party officials have not commented on their plans to find a replacement for Loyola.
He is the last candidate to be torn from the list of the Liberal Party, with less than a month before the Canadians are heading to the polls.
During a press conference on Friday morning, liberal leader Mark Carney confirmed that Loyola is no longer a candidate.
He told reporters, in French, who believes that the process of verification of the party is, in general, properly robust.
He said, however, if there was any problem with the process, they have already addressed them.
The party cut the ties with Thomas Keeper in Calgary-Confederation last week for its failure to reveal a domestic assault position in 2005.
The judicial records show that the guardian was accused of common assault on June 6, 2005. The plaintiff was the guardian’s wife at that time, according to divorce records.
The liberal head of the Toronto area, Paul Chiang, withdrew from the liberal race after he faced controversy for suggesting that people became a conservative candidate who executed on a trip close to the Chinese consulate to collect generosity.
Before the writing was withdrawn, the liberals also announced that Nepean’s deputy, Arya Chandra, would not be allowed to run again for the seat.
Conservatives have also left several candidates since the race began.
Don Patel, who was campaigning for conservatives in Etobicoke North, is out of the race after committing to a comment on social networks that suggested that some people should be deported to India and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should “take care of them.”
Mark McKenzie in southwest Ontario was expelled for what the party described as “unacceptable” comments and Stefan Marquis in Montreal was retired after sharing conspiracy theories on social networks.
The conservatives also recently revoked Lounce Singh’s candidacy in New Westminster-Burnaby-Mailardville.
According to the rules of Canada’s elections, political parties have until April 7 to find a new person to place on the electoral ballot.
