Rod Loyola removed as the Liberal candidate in Edmonton following the emergence of a 2009 video in which he praised Hamas and Hezbollah. Loyola now plans to run as an independent, citing continued support for the “Palestinian cause”.
The Liberal Party in Canada has withdrawn its candidate for Edmonton Gateway, Rod Loyola, after footage emerged of him expressing support for Hamas and Hezbollah during a 2009 protest against NATO, The National Post reported.
The video shows Loyola—then performing under the stage name “Rosouljah” as part of a hip-hop group called People’s Poets—speaking at an anti-NATO rally in Edmonton’s Churchill Square. In his remarks, Loyola described Hamas and Hezbollah as “movements for national liberation,” adding, “Organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas really are trying to stand up for their people and that needs to be recognized.”
Both Hamas and Hezbollah are listed as terrorist organizations by the Canadian government.
The National Post reached out to the Liberal campaign Thursday morning for a response to the video. Following hours of silence, a spokesperson confirmed in the evening that Loyola’s candidacy had been revoked.
“Mr. Loyola is no longer our candidate for Edmonton Gateway,” wrote Liberal spokesperson Isabella Orozco-Madison in an email statement.
Loyola, who has represented Edmonton-Ellerslie in Alberta’s legislature since 2015 under the NDP banner, secured the Liberal nomination for Edmonton Gateway on March 26. He publicly announced his departure from provincial politics days later, aligning himself with Liberal leader Mark Carney.
“(Carney) is the man of the hour that we need, especially to stand up to Donald Trump south of the border,” Loyola said during his March 29 campaign launch.
In 2014, Loyola ran for the Alberta NDP leadership, finishing last with 2% of the vote. He converted to Islam in 2018, according to The National Post.
Speaking to reporters Friday, Carney confirmed that Loyola was no longer the party’s candidate in Edmonton Gateway, though he did not provide a reason for the removal.
In a statement published Friday on his personal website, Loyola confirmed that the 2009 video led to the termination of his candidacy.
“I did not think that an intro at a hip-hop segment 16 years later would get me ‘cancelled’ after close to a decade of serving as an elected representative at the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, but here we are,” he wrote.
Loyola insisted he opposes all acts of terrorism, writing, “I want to be clear: I unequivocally condemn brutal killings, terrorism, and abduction – whoever does it.”
Despite the controversy, Loyola declared his intention to continue running—this time as an independent candidate in the neighboring riding of Edmonton Southeast. He emphasized the “Palestinian cause” as a motivating factor.
“Just as (Canadians) are standing together against the threat that is Donald Trump… the Palestinian people, against all odds, are standing up to the same threat of Trump’s proposed annexation of Gaza and his de facto support for Netanyahu to commit endless violence against a civilian population,” Loyola charged.
