OTTAWA (LifeSiteNews) — The federally funded Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN) claimed that its attempt to cancel a pro-life youth summit was not directed by the Liberal government.
According to information published March 20 by Blacklock’s Reporter, CAHN denied that it acted under the direction of the Liberal government when it attempted to cancel Campaign Life Coalition’s (CLC) youth summit over false suggestions that one of its speakers supported Nazism.
“We are a completely independent organization,” executive director Evan Balgord claimed, despite receiving a $440,000 grant from the Liberal government.
Balgord admitted to calling the Ottawa Conference and Events Centre, which is hosting the youth summit after the National March for Life on May 8.
However, he claimed that he did so to “provide the venue the opportunity to comment,” adding that the Liberal government did not have “any influence” on the call.
Balgord refused to answer if his organization asked the centre to cancel the pro-life event.
Additionally, CLC revealed that CAHN, in a recent article it published titled “Anti-Abortion Lobby Bringing Priest Who Gave Nazi Salute To Canada For Youth Conference,” has “falsely accused” the preacher in its headline of giving a “Nazi salute,” even though the article makes it clear that well-known black preacher Calvin Robinson made a “mocking” gesture meant to “mimic the gesture made by Elon Musk.”
“It seems that CAHN wants to get CLC canceled by spreading lies about Robinson,” CLC’s Pete Baklinski told LifeSiteNews.
Notably, CAHN has a history of going after CLC with “misinformation” that it has previously been forced to retract.
“CAHN is clearly not a good actor here,” he continued. “It published this piece even after admitting to us in emails that they ‘certainly understand that Fr. Robinson is not a secret National Socialist.’ The headline is a complete lie. Robinson did not give such a salute.”
Robinson is a minister formerly with the Anglican Catholic Church. During the National Pro-Life Summit in Washington, D.C., on January 25, he concluded a speech with a gesture that sparked significant controversy.
The video footage of the incident shows Robinson saying, “My heart goes out to you,” while he thumped his chest and the same time extended his right arm forward, with his palm down, a gesture similar to Elon Musk’s motion during a speech at Donald Trump’s inauguration.
The Anglican Catholic Church on January 29 revoked Robinson’s priestly license over the controversy, saying he ended his speech “with a gesture that many have interpreted as a pro-Nazi salute.”
As for Robinson, he defended himself on social media, saying his gesture was nothing more than “a joke,” with the goal being to mock “hysterical liberals” who had labeled Musk a Nazi “for quite clearly showing the audience his heart was with them.”
