Canada: Most racist, hateful acts go unreported, says Farah Nasser as Calgary mayoral candidate Kevin J. Johnston handed jail term for hate speech

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October 5, 2021- As an organized hate campaign against women journalists of color continues, journalist Farah Nasser, a news presenter for Global News, highlighted that most racist and hateful acts go unreported and are never taken to court. Farah shared video proof on Twitter incriminating Calgary mayoral candidate Kevin J. Johnston, who verbally harassed her with deeply racist speech a year ago. 

Johnston, a right-wing social media personality, was handed an 18-month jail term on Monday on six counts of contempt for making hateful and defamatory remarks against a Lebanese-Canadian business owner despite being fined and restrained from doing the same in 2019. The judge described Johnston’s remarks as “hate speech at its worst”, reported news outlets. 

Farah shared on Twitter a video of an incident from 2020, where Johnston verbally harasses her in the field as she tries to report for TV. In the video, Johnston, who has donned a placard stating “masks are bullshit”, accuses Farah of “slandering” and labels her media outlet as “fake news”. 

“What I’m not showing you is the disgusting, vile words he used to describe Muslims moments before. Today, a judge sentenced Johnston to 18 months in jail,” wrote Farah on Twitter.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism stands in solidarity with Farah who remained calm despite Johnston’s comments. It is saddening to observe this toxic pattern of racist attacks that women journalists of color have to frequently suffer in the country. 

Farah clarified in her Twitter thread that the video was filmed a year ago. “I didn't post it then because didn't want to give racist Kevin Johnston oxygen,” she said.

She pointed out that “most racist, hateful acts are not filmed, unreported and never taken to court. May today's decision make people emboldened to spread hate think twice. There are real world consequences.”

In May 2019, the Ontario Superior Court imposed a fine of $2.5 million on Johnston for repeatedly making hateful and defamatory remarks against Mohammad Fakih, owner of a prominent restaurant chain. The court’s judgment included a permanent order restraining Johnston from defaming Fakih but the mayoral candidate was found in violation of the order multiple times. 

“Mr. Fakih is a man of some prominence in society. If the court is powerless to stop unrelenting, unlawful, racist attacks against a man like Mr. Fakih, how are the powerless to feel welcome or safe in Canada?” said the judge in Monday’s decision, as quoted by Farah.
The country has witnessed a rise in racially charged attacks and rhetoric. In recent days, at least 18 journalists, most of them women of color, have been targeted after right-wing politician Maxime Bernier tweeted a provocative message inciting his supporters. Bernier’s tweet has since been deleted but an organized campaign against journalists has continued unabated, with many of the vile, racist, and deeply gendered emails sent from the same email account. 

The CFWIJ has been documenting these cases as they surface. We demand that the Canadian authorities swiftly investigate these threats and ensure protection of journalists, especially of women journalists of color. We stand with The Canadian Association of Journalists, which has asked the government and law enforcement agencies to take action against wave of racially charged online attacks against journalists. The CFWIJ stands in solidarity with all the affected women journalists and supports them against any sort of harassment.