Canada’s getting a little touchy about the Olympics
Democracy Now host Amy Goodman — a well-known left-wing critic of U.S. foreign policy — was detained and questioned when entering Canada last week. But according to her, it wasn’t her views on the war in Afghanistan or free trade that had the border guards worried, it was fear that she might say mean things ...
Democracy Now host Amy Goodman -- a well-known left-wing critic of U.S. foreign policy -- was detained and questioned when entering Canada last week. But according to her, it wasn't her views on the war in Afghanistan or free trade that had the border guards worried, it was fear that she might say mean things about the upcoming winter Olympics:
Democracy Now host Amy Goodman — a well-known left-wing critic of U.S. foreign policy — was detained and questioned when entering Canada last week. But according to her, it wasn’t her views on the war in Afghanistan or free trade that had the border guards worried, it was fear that she might say mean things about the upcoming winter Olympics:
In the country to promote her book Breaking the Sound Barrier , a collection of the award-winning journalist’s columns, she planned to discuss the missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, of which she is a critic; Canadian icon Tommy Douglas, a hero of medicare; global warming; and the worldwide economic meltdown.
“Well, that pretty much does it. And he said, ‘what about the Olympics? ‘And I said, ‘the Olympics? Do you mean when President Obama went to Copenhagen to try and get the Olympics for Chicago?’ ” Ms. Goodman recalled asking.
She claimed the officer persisted in questioning her about Vancouver’s upcoming Games.
“I said, ‘no, I wasn’t planning to talk about that,’ ” she said. “He just seemed incredulous. They didn’t believe me.”
They began to search her notes and computers and those of her two colleagues, Ms. Goodman alleged. They then photographed the journalist and gave her a stipulation to leave the country by Friday night. They were delayed over an hour.
The recent summer Olympics in Beijing and the 2016 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia have attracted a good deal of criticism from human rights activists, but Canada? What exactly were they worried she was going to say?
Joshua Keating was an associate editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @joshuakeating
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