MacKay faces backlash over now-deleted tweet that critics say promoted vigilantism

Conservative leadership hopeful Peter MacKay is facing blowback after posting — then deleting — a tweet that expressed support for counter-protesters who dismantled a barricade erected by supporters of the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs near Edmonton on Wednesday.

«Glad to see a couple Albertans with a pickup truck can do more for our economy in an afternoon than Justin Trudeau could do in four years,» the tweet read.

The tweet was a reference to Wednesday’s confrontation between a group of counter-protesters and some anti-pipeline demonstrators who had set up a blockade on CN’s main rail line in the western part of the provincial capital.

After a provincial court granted an injunction against the protesters, the counter-protesters removed material that was blocking the railway and dismantled a wooden makeshift barrier the anti-pipeline activists had built.

In this tweet sent from Peter MacKay’s account, the Conservative leadership candidate appears to applaud the efforts of counter-demonstrators to dismantle a blockade of train tracks in Edmonton.(Peter MacKay/Twitter)

Critics denounce vigilantism

Critics quickly denounced the tweet as inappropriate because they said it appeared the former justice minister was promoting vigilantism.

Sean Carleton, a historian at the Mount Royal University in Calgary, said it’s dangerous for politicians in positions of influence to support people taking the law into their own hands.

«I think it kind of legitimizes this more vigilante approach,» said Carleton.

«These macho calls for aggression and kind of a might-is-right approach … we’ve seen that, even just in the last 30 years in Indigenous-settler relations, [they can] go very sideways «

MacKay’s tweet on the rail blockade was eventually deleted and replaced with a new, three-part message.

«I see this as an act of good citizenship. The peaceful removal of debris deliberately placed on a railway that posed a threat to public safety,» reads one of the new tweets.

«I stand with the workers, producers and suppliers who work hard, obey the law, care for their neighbors and keep Canada the best place in the world to live.»

Second social media controversy

The social media dustup isn’t the first time MacKay’s leadership campaign team has run into trouble on social media.

On Feb. 3, MacKay backtracked on a tweet attacking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for expensing $876.95 in yoga sessions and spa bills while running for the leadership of the Liberal Party.

MacKay, who has said he wants his campaign to maintain a civilized tone, said he was unhappy with the personal nature of the tweet and made that known to his team, although he refused to take it down.

The MacKay campaign addressed the rail blockade tweets in a fundraising email sent out on Thursday that repeated the message from the now-deleted tweet.

When asked about the Edmonton incident during a press conference on Parliament Hill today, Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said the situation should be resolved by peaceful means.

«I always advocate for adherence to the rule of law and peaceful resolution of these disputes and we’ll continue to support that,» Blair said.