Khalistan supporters threatened and harassed investigative reporter Mocha Bezirgan while he reported on a rally in downtown Vancouver over the weekend. Bezirgan, known to have documented Khalistani protests in several countries, reported being “surrounded and threatened” by several supporters and had his phone stolen briefly while recording the protest.
“It just happened two hours ago, and I’m still shaking,” Mocha Bezirgan told ANI during a phone interview. “They acted like thugs – crowding in on me, grabbing my phone, trying to stop me recording.”
“What’s up now bro!?”
Here’s the view from my main camera of two Khalistani thugs blocking my exit as I try to get away from a serial harasser who can’t keep his distance from me.These intimidation tactics won’t stop me or influence my editorial independence. pic.twitter.com/jXU1uTZDmV
— Mocha Bezirgan 🇨🇦 (@BezirganMocha) June 8, 2025
The altercation took place on Sunday, and according to Bezirgan, the confrontation was led by an agitator who has previously harassed him online.
All of a sudden, I had two or three individuals in my face. I initiated a backup recording on my phone; that’s when one of them pulled it away from me,” he said.
Police Step In, But No Arrests Made
Vancouver police officers nearby immediately stepped in and ordered the man to step back. Bezirgan subsequently filed an official statement, but authorities made no arrests.. He added that the same individual followed him for a number of blocks, including onto a SkyTrain platform.
I had nowhere to go. It was obvious intimidation,” Bezirgan said, appealing to Canadian authorities to send the claimed agitator, whom he named as a British national, out of the country.
Continuous Threats Against Journalists Reporting on the Separatist Movement
The incident of Sunday brings to the fore a mounting issue for journalists reporting on Khalistani extremism. In October 2024, Canadian MP Chandra Arya cautioned Parliament of rising violence against media personnel reporting on the movement. He mentioned attacks on journalists such as Rishi Nagar and Sameer Kaushal, and mentioned that Bezirgan himself had once received death threats.
The trend of aggression indicates a disturbing pattern of targeted harassment, with special targeting of individuals who report on separatist rallies and extreme ideologies critically.
Canadian champions of press freedom and government officials have called for enhanced protection for journalists as well as stronger legal action against those threatening or impeding media work.
