RCMP Admits Officers Crossed the Line at Conservative Rallies

The force says its job is not to root out the prime minister’s political opponents.

In a statement released Wednesday, the RCMP took responsibility for tossing people from Conservative rallies and said officers assigned to security detail for party leaders have been reminded of their responsibilities. Several people reported being asked to leave Tory campaign events earlier this week after RCMP officers apparently did checks of their Facebook pages and bumper stickers and found evidence of non-Conservative political affiliations. Critics have accused Stephen Harper’s campaign team of going to extreme lengths to protect him from criticism, but it remains unclear what role Conservative staffers had in directing the RCMP to act as bouncers at the events. The Liberals have attempted to capitalize on the controversy, and released an ad that depicts Conservatives as Facebook stalkers.