Ala Buzreba, the 21-year-old Liberal candidate in Calgary Nose Hill, has withdrawn from the federal election campaign after vicious tweets attacking readers were revealed.
Buzreba apologized on Aug. 18 for the tweets, saying they were “made a long time ago, as a teenager, but that is no excuse.”
“They do not reflect my views, who I am as a person or my deep respect for all communities in our country,” she stated on her Twitter page.
The University of Calgary student announced her withdrawal later that evening, on the same day she tweeted how proud she was to be part of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau’s team promoting real change.
“After the unfolding of today’s events, I have decided to step down as the Liberal candidate for Calgary Nose Hill,” she stated.
Speaking during a campaign appearance in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Trudeau said, “When someone makes a mistake, it’s important that they own up to it and they apologize.
“Ala has unreservedly apologized for her comments and I think it’s important to point out that she was a teenager and that we all make mistakes.”
The tweets that prompted Buzreba’s apology and withdrawal employ vicious language to attack a variety of targets. One is a supporter of Israel, who in a 2011 tweet is told his mother should have used a coat hanger for an abortion. Another insults gay women, when Buzreba said her new haircut made her look like “a flipping lesbian.” And, in a third, she wrote, “Go blow your brains out you waste of sperm.”
Responding to critics, Buzreba tweeted that “young people, myself included, have learned a lot of lessons about social media. Those 2009-2012 tweets reflect a much younger person.”
Ironically, earlier this month Buzreba retweeted a tweet from Jerome James, Liberal candidate for Calgary Shepard, who spoke at an anti-bullying rally. It is, he stated, “An important cause to support.”
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