WATCH: Chaos erupts in debate media centre, mega clash between legacy, independent journalists

The post-debate scrum was cancelled Thursday night in Montreal after a major clash between the CBC and other legacy outlets and independent journalists in the media centre.

Federal party leaders were in Montreal to debate in French on Wednesday, and in English on Thursday. Each leader was scheduled to hold a 10-minute media availability after the debates.

CBC following Wednesday night’s debates repeatedly complained about questions put forward by Rebel News journalists and smeared them, with lead pundit Rosemary Barton claiming the independent media outlet “traffics in misinformation.”

A Hill Times reporter verbally accosted Rebel commander Ezra Levant, and the media centre was put on lockdown.

About 50 journalists circled Levant, who calmly listened to a litany of accusations and explained the CBC had complained about his journalists’ presence there — though a court had earlier ruled they have every right to attend the debates.

"Once every four years we're allowed to put a couple questions to these high priests of politics, and there's a total freakout from the press gallery,” Levant remarked to the swarm of government-funded journalists.

When accused of not being a real journalist, Levant replied, “If you have a phone, you can be a journalist.”

“No you can’t,” scoffed CTV’s Judy Trinh.

After about 20 minutes of chaos, the debates began and journalists settled in to work. Then, about three quarters through the two-hour debate, both the debate commission and Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s press office confirmed the post-debate scrum was cancelled.

“We can’t ensure the proper environment,” said the commissioner after the debate.

Initially in the media centre it was perceived the abrupt cancellation was a result of the clash between the Hill Times reporter and Levant — however, the latter shortly thereafter explained to the Western Standard it was actually complaints made by the CBC.

“That was not why I left. I left because the CBC had made a complaint to kick me out,” said Levant.

“The commission was asked by the CBC to deport me [from the event].”

“I’m disappointed in the decision by the commissioner of this debate to shut down the scrum. His mission is to serve the public,” said Levant.

“And how does it serve the public to let these politicians go without a scrum?”

“And I think I know why he did it. On the one hand, over the last 24 hours, the commissioner has been pressured by every mainstream media big shot — ‘How dare you allow the citizen journalists in?’”

“They hated the idea that we could even be allowed in this sanctified place of only ‘professional journalists.’”

“I think that the leader of the debates commission is a weak man who was bullied by the mainstream media and did not do his duty.”

“All these [journalists] here live off the subsidies of the government because they're failing in their business.”