Rod Loyola speaks during a 2019 provincial campaign event held in Edmonton. National Post



Rod Loyola will no longer run as the Liberal candidate in Edmonton Gateway. The decision came after a 2009 video surfaced where Loyola spoke in support of Hamas and Hezbollah. In the video, he said these groups were fighting for their people and shouldn’t be called terrorists.

He made the comments during a protest in Edmonton against NATO. At the time, Loyola was performing as a rapper under the name Rosouljah with a group called People’s Poets. The video was taken at Churchill Square, where he spoke and performed. Loyola called the two groups “movements for national liberation.”

After the video was shared with the Liberal campaign, they quickly responded. On Thursday evening, the party confirmed that Loyola would no longer represent them. “Mr. Loyola is no longer our candidate for Edmonton Gateway,” wrote campaign spokesperson Isabella Orozco-Madison.

Loyola didn’t respond to any requests for comment. He had recently left provincial politics to run federally. He served as a member of Alberta’s legislature with the NDP since 2015. The Liberals nominated him just a few days earlier, on March 26.

At his campaign launch on March 29, Loyola praised party leader Mark Carney. He said Carney was the right person to stand up to political challenges from the U.S.

This isn’t the first time Loyola has received criticism. In the past, he spoke highly of leaders like Hugo Chávez and Fidel Castro. In a 2021 podcast, he said he supported Latin American governments that focus on social rights. He also claimed Canada could learn from Cuba and Venezuela in some areas.

Loyola has shown support for Venezuela's government even after many accused it of human rights abuses. In 2013, he helped organize an event in Edmonton to honor Chávez after his death. The event was promoted as a show of support for the Venezuelan people.

Loyola also compared Alberta’s oil industry to Latin American military regimes. In a 2014 interview, he said oil projects sometimes hurt local communities the same way those regimes did. He ran for Alberta’s NDP leadership that year but got just 2% of the vote.

In 2018, Loyola converted to Islam. Critics now say his past comments and views should have been caught much earlier.

Casey Babb, who works with a group that fights extremism, said Loyola should never have made it this far. He believes Loyola’s views are too extreme and says political parties need to screen candidates more carefully. Babb added that some radical beliefs are now blending with political movements that are supposed to promote peace and fairness.

Mark Carney confirmed Loyola was no longer with the party but didn’t say why. With the deadline to submit candidates approaching, parties are rushing to avoid further controversy.

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 0 / 5. Vote count: 0

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

You may also like

Pope Francis’s Funeral Set For Saturday At St. Peter’s Square, Here’s How To Watch

Pope Francis passed away on Monday at the age of 88. His funeral will be held this Saturday in St.....

Judge Hannah Dugan Faces Charges Over Helping Immigrants Escape Arrest

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan has been charged with two felonies. Authorities say she helped an undocumented immigrant avoid....

Poilievre unveils his 100-day plan for a Conservative government

Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party, has outlined his plan for the first 100 days of his government if....

Mark Carney’s Liberals Set For Majority Win, Not Landslide: Polls

 Mark Carney's Liberal Party is leading in the race for Canada's election. Recent polls show the Liberals are expected to....

Aerobatic Pilot Rob Holland Dies In Crash At Langley Air Force Base

Rob Holland, one of the world’s top aerobatic pilots, died in a plane crash on Thursday. The crash happened at....

Elections Canada Prepares For Record-Breaking Vote In Poilievre's Riding

Elections Canada is ready to handle a large and unusual ballot in the Ontario riding where Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre....

Armed Man Shot Dead by Police During Chaos At Toronto Airport

A 30-year-old man with a gun was shot and killed by police at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Thursday morning.....

Gladiator’s Skeleton In York Shows Evidence Of Lion Combat

A fascinating discovery in York, England, has given researchers new insights into ancient Roman combat. Archaeologists have found a skeleton....

White House Reports Success At Canada-U.S. Border Amid Tariffs

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt highlighted the successes at the Canada-U.S. border during a briefing on Tuesday. She mentioned....

Record 7.3 Million Canadians Cast Votes In Advance Polls: Elections Canada

A new record was set in Canada as 7.3 million people cast their votes during the advance polls, according to....

Scientists discover rare signs of Earth's layers peeling beneath Sierra Nevada

Seismologist Deborah Kilb made an exciting discovery while analyzing earthquake data from California. While reviewing the past four decades of....

Harvard Sues Trump Administration Over $2.2 Billion Funding Freeze

Harvard University filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday, aiming to stop a freeze on over $2.2 billion....