'I apologize': David Suzuki says he was wrong to warn that pipelines will be blown up
Environmentalist and TV host David Suzuki apologized Thursday for comments he made about exploding pipelines.
On Saturday, while participating in a protest in Victoria, Suzuki told CHEK News that, “There are going to be pipelines blowing up if our leaders don’t pay attention to what’s going on.”
After criticism, including from the premier of Alberta, Suzuki attempted to clarify that his statements were not an indication of support for violence or destruction but simply a prediction.
On Thursday morning his foundation issued a statement containing a public apology.
“The remarks I made were poorly chosen and I should not have said them. Any suggestion that violence is inevitable is wrong and will not lead us to a desperately-needed solution to the climate crisis. My words were spoken out of extreme frustration and I apologize," the statement said.
It added that Suzuki's words were "born out of many years of watching government inaction while the climate crisis continues to get worse."
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney demanded a retraction and an apology on Tuesday, and he said most other public figures would be "cancelled" for saying such things.
"It's absolutely an implicit, or winking, incitement to violence," Kenney alleged during a news conference.
"It's like in the gangster movies, where they say you know, 'Nice little pipeline you've got there, it'd be a terrible thing if something happened to it.'"
The Alberta NDP also condemned Suzuki's comments, but Extinction Rebellion, one of the groups at the Victoria rally, defended him.
"We don’t believe he was inciting violence. He was simply making a sociological prediction that if governments fail to act, then people will get desperate and they will start blowing up pipelines," said Zain Haq with Extinction Rebellion Canada.
"It's very clear that people are getting more desperate and there are clear plans of escalation, although they are non violent."
CTV News Edmonton requested an interview with Suzuki through his foundation, but he was not made available.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated cough syrup
The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.
WATCH Video shows dramatic police takedown of carjacking suspects chased through parking lot north of Toronto
Police have released video footage of a dramatic takedown of a group of teens wanted in connection with an attempted carjacking in Markham earlier this month.
Canada, G7 urge 'all parties' to de-escalate in growing Mideast conflict
Canada called for 'all parties' to de-escalate rising tensions in the Mideast following an apparent Israeli drone attack against Iran overnight.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.