Brian Lilley, co-founder of The Rebel, leaves the conservative media website

OTTAWA — A co-founder of The Rebel says he’s leaving the conservative media website.

Ottawa radio talk show host Brian Lilley announced Monday in a Facebook post that he’s parting ways with The Rebel because he no longer feels “comfortable” being part of the organization.

Lilley says he had been concerned over the “harsh tone” The Rebel has taken on some subjects, but it came to a head over last weekend’s events in Charlottesville, Va.

Heather Heyer, 32, of Charlottesville, was killed and at least 19 other people were injured when a car plowed into counter protesters at a white nationalist rally.

Lilley questions what a reporter from The Rebel was doing at a “unite the right” rally that he calls an “anti-Semitic white power rally” dedicated to keeping up a statue of Robert E. Lee.

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He says he’s leaving because The Rebel suffers from a “lack of editorial and behavioural judgment” that Lilley says will destroy it if it’s left unchecked.

“As a serious journalist with nearly 20 years experience at the highest levels in this country, and abroad, I cannot be a part of this,” he said.

“I am also not comfortable with the increasingly harsh tone taken on issues like immigration, or Islam,” Lilley wrote.

Lilley noted that he doesn’t think Ezra Levant, or anyone else at The Rebel, is a racist nor a white supremacist.

“I wish the folks at The Rebel well in the future, hope they right their ship, but I won’t be sailing on it any longer.”

The Canadian Press

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