A Canadian woman was assaulted on Parliament Hill because she supports a foreign agent registry
20 days have passed, and there're still no apologies or explanations from the Senators, the organizer, and the accused assailant, Derek Wu.
A Canadian woman was physically attacked and verbally abused by a series of three men on Parliament Hill last month when she was peacefully expressing her support for Canada’s proposed foreign agent registry, according to a report by Radio Free Asia (自由亚洲电台).
Nearly three weeks have gone by, yet no one has assumed responsibility for the assault. Furthermore, one of the alleged assailants is now found to be mingling with China's top diplomat in Toronto.
Pro-democracy activist got assaulted at the heart of Canada’s democracy
Yao Zhang (张尧), the victim of the assault, said the incident took place on June 24, 2023, during the “June 24 rally”, an event that gathered thousands of individuals in Ottawa to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Canada's Chinese Exclusion Act, a racist law that has been repealed 76 years ago.
The June 24 rally was led by Senators Victor Oh (胡子修) and Yuen Pau Woo (胡元豹) and had been promoted within the Chinese Canadian community for several months. Multiple marketing materials indicated that one of the objectives of the June 24 rally was to protest against Canada's proposed foreign agent registry, which Senators Woo and Oh portrayed as a modern form and disguised Chinese Exclusion Act.
Zhang, a Canadian citizen originally from mainland China, said she decided to show up on Parliament Hill on June 24 for a counter-protest because she strongly disagrees with the two Senators and she hoped to voice her support for a foreign agent registry in Canada.
Zhang carried multiple banners expressing her support for individuals oppressed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), such as Hong Kongers, Taiwanese, Uyghurs, and Tibetans. Additionally, she attached a handmade sign to her backpack condemning the CCP and advocating for Canada's legislation of a foreign agent registry.
Zhang talked with several participants at the rally, who confirmed that protestors took free buses from Toronto and Montreal to Ottawa, and each protestor received a $15 compensation. Zhang live-streamed these conversations on her YouTube channel, as she had previously informed people when they began talking.
Zhang asked participants whether they were aware that the rally was about opposing the foreign agent registry and that the two Senators leading the event have been campaigning fiercely against the registry. Most participants claimed they were unaware and insisted that the sole purpose of the rally was to commemorate the Chinese Exclusion Act.
While Zhang continued speaking with people, she was suddenly confronted by three individuals, all appearing to be Asian males and speaking in Mandarin, who subjected her to a series of assaults.
A young man in a grey shirt (left) asked Zhang in an aggressive tone why she persisted in asking questions about the foreign agent registry. He proceeded to physically assault her before quickly fleeing the scene, hurling insults and accusing her of betraying their Chinese ancestors.
Shortly after, an elderly man wearing a light-colored shirt (middle) violently struck Zhang's hand, abruptly ending her live stream and causing damage to her phone. This resulted in a visible red bruise on Zhang's finger.
A third individual (right), wearing a black and white hoodie, labeled Zhang with derogatory terms such as "bitch" and "dog," while also gesturing with an offensive middle finger.
The commotion drew the attention of several police officers, who came to intervene and escorted Zhang away from the crowd. According to a Twitter post by a witness, a lot of people cheered when Zhang was made to leave the venue.
That group of people, mostly Chinese Canadians, didn’t do anything to help out a fellow Chinese Canadian when she was assaulted at an event that claimed to defend Chinese people’s rights and interests. Even more dishearteningly, when she had to leave, they responded with happy cheers.
Derek Wu, one of the accused assailants, has strong ties with Beijing and GTA politics
Zhang promptly reported the incident to the Ottawa police, seeking justice for the assault. Additionally, she shared her experience on social media platforms. In a short period of time, Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) community found out the identity of one of the assailants involved in the incident.
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