A cocaine-addicted goat was at the centre of the Public Order Emergency Commission on Wednesday, as Freedom Convoy organizer Tom Marazzo spoke about the mascot for the fictitious country of Diagolon..While testifying about his role in the convoy, Marazzo was asked about his relationship with Jeremy MacKenzie, a Canadian Armed forces veteran who created the country of Diagolon as a "meme." ."The vice president of Diagolon, being a time traveling cocaine-addicted goat, that's just an internet meme that has no meaning at all," Marazzo told the commission..The federal government used MacKenzie's group as a justification for the implementation of the Emergencies Act, after two of the group's patches were found on body armour seized during the execution of RCMP search warrants in Coutts, AB..MacKenzie claimed the patches were not created by him and that the incident was a "false flag.".While Diagolon has been labelled a far-right, accelerationist militia by the Liberal government-funded Anti-Hate Network, MacKenzie and his supporters maintain the group is a joke..READ MORE: Leader of Diagolon claims to be 'waging war' on media."[Liberals] were citing this fictitious goat that time travels as a domestic terrorist group and a justification for invoking the Emergencies Act," Marazzo said.."And I saw a video that Jeremy and his friends did, and they were laughing hysterically, showing clips of the government actually talking about Diagolon as being a real thing. Everybody knew it was a joke.".Marazzo said after he saw the video, he phoned MacKenzie and asked him to "tell me everything there is to know about Diagolon." MacKenzie explained that if one were to draw a diagonal line from Alaska to Florida, they would get a collection of provinces and states that at the time didn't have mask mandates.."[MacKenzie] made the symbol for Diagolon in a second on his cellphone, because it's a joke. And it is meaningless. He did it to attract attention for people to come to a barbecue and to have a lot of fun," Marazzo said..Paul Champ, a lawyer representing a collection of Ottawa communities and businesses, did not accept Marazzo's explanation of Diagolon's origins. ."Isn't that in fact the case the concept of a diagonal state was one where there would only be white people who would live in it, and they can get all non-white people out?"."One of Jeremy's best friends is a black man," Marazzo said "I can't even comprehend —"."Does he have a Jewish accountant as well?" Champ interrupted.."I don't even know what that means," Marazzo said. .Champ asked if Marazzo had seen any of MacKenzie's online rants. MacKenzie was heavily criticized for a video where he joked about sexually assault Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre's wife, Anaida. The RCMP later confirmed they were investigating MacKenzie's joke..READ MORE: Poilievre tells Diagolon leader 'Leave my family alone' after lewd joke."I have seen Jeremy say things I don't like, and I've seen Jeremy say things I thought were brilliant," Marazzo said. .Saskatchewan RCMP arrested Mackenzie on a Canada-wide warrant in September on charges of assault and pointing a firearm. He is scheduled to testify Friday at the commission via videoconference.
