London doctor sprays MP’s office with ketchup again, hours after mischief charge was dropped

Inside a London courtroom Tuesday, a mischief charge against London physician Dr. Tarek Loubani was dropped.

“We knew that we were going to win this case, we were ready to fight this case straight to the end,” said Loubani, speaking with CTV News outside the courthouse on Dundas Street in London, Ont.

Nearly a year ago, Loubani, who also teaches at Western University, was arrested and charged with mischief, for spraying ketchup on the exterior of Member of Parliament Peter Fragiskatos’ office — he spent a night at the holding cells inside London Police Service Headquarters.

“What I was doing when I sprayed ketchup during this protest against genocide is a constitutionally protected right,” said Loubani.

His counsel Arash Ghiassi and Riaz Sayani, sent a statement to CTV News, in part it reads, “Members of the public have the constitutional right to protest against their elected officials. Had the charge not been withdrawn, we would have defended the case at trial on this basis, as well as on the merits.”

Loubani said they’ve been asking Fragiskatos to take a strong position against an “act of genocide.”

“He has said nothing in approximately a year. And when he did say something in December of 2023, it was to Palestinians for their own genocide,” added Loubani.

In a statement to CTV News, Peter Fragiskatos said, “Over the past several years our office and staff have experienced various acts of vandalism, threats and hostility. This will always be unacceptable.”

Fragiskatos added this is a legal matter in which charges were laid and he will not be commenting on the process. 

Just hours after the mischief charge was dropped, Loubani returned to Fragiskatos’ office, spraying it with ketchup once again. He expressed no concern of getting charged.