Ottawa police are investigating allegations of hate speech used throughout a pro-Palestinian rally on Parliament Hill on the weekend.
The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) mentioned its hate and bias crime unit has launched an investigation following complaints a few demonstration “in relation to the Gaza Strip” on Saturday afternoon.
In an electronic mail to CBC, the OPS mentioned it is in contact with group leaders and establishments in regards to the scenario.
Police provided no extra particular particulars in regards to the allegations, however a number of movies posted to social media over the weekend present a whole bunch of demonstrators in entrance of Parliament Hill on Saturday.
At one level a demonstrator who was main the gang in chants may be heard saying “October seventh is proof that we’re virtually free,” and “lengthy stay October seventh, lengthy stay the resistance.”
CBC has not recognized the person making these statements.In keeping with the Israeli authorities, militants killed some 1,200 individuals within the Oct. 7 assaults.
A shock assault by Hamas on Oct. 7 killed some 1,200 individuals, in response to the Israeli authorities. Greater than 1,000 individuals have been injured and about 250 extra have been taken hostage.
In accordance to Hamas’s high navy commander on the time, the assault was in response to the continued blockade of Gaza, Israeli raids inside occupied West Financial institution cities over the previous yr and growing assaults by settlers on Palestinians.
Federal leaders condemn statements
Whereas there have been quite a few protests throughout Canada and on Parliament Hill since that day, federal leaders have been fast to sentence the rhetoric heard at Saturday’s rally, calling it antisemitic.
“There’s a distinction between peaceable protest and hateful intimidation. It’s unconscionable to glorify the antisemitic violence and homicide perpetrated by Hamas on October seventh,” wrote Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on social media Sunday.
There’s a distinction between peaceable protest and hateful intimidation.<br><br>It’s unconscionable to glorify the antisemitic violence and homicide perpetrated by Hamas on October seventh. This rhetoric has no place in Canada. None.
—@JustinTrudeau
“I condemn these pro-genocide, antisemitic chants,” mentioned Conservative Chief Pierre Poilievre in his personal social media put up.
“We stand with Jews in Canada and world wide towards these malicious phrases and deeds.”
NDP Chief Jagmeet Singh wrote that “hate, antisemitism and inciting violence isn’t okay. I unequivocally condemn those that chant issues which might be incendiary, hateful and that glorify October seventh’s terror and dying.”
OPS says hate speech ‘not as apparent’
Police have been current at Saturday’s rally however no arrests or costs have been reported.
Forward of an Ottawa Police Companies Board assembly Monday, Chief Eric Stubbs informed reporters the OPS has a zero-tolerance coverage for hate-motivated incidents, however would not say whether or not he felt the rhetoric heard over the weekend was antisemitic.
“When it is apparent, we will react instantly. Generally it isn’t as apparent,” he mentioned. “We’ve got a really tough time typically attempting to be impartial, attempting to be within the center and stability individuals’s rights to precise themselves.”
It is why the OPS is consulting with Crown council on the particular language heard at Saturday’s rally to “guarantee we’ve got the right costs,” Stubbs mentioned.
Below federal laws, any prosecution of hate speech would must be accepted by Ontario’s lawyer common.
In an announcement to CBC Monday, Médecins du Québec, which organized a demonstration on Parliament Hill Saturday to attract consideration to the destruction of Gaza’s well being system and the killing of health-care employees, mentioned the feedback in query have been made by somebody belonging to a separate demonstration, organized by one other group, occurring on the identical time.
“We turned conscious of statements made by a person that referred to as for celebration of the October seventh bloodbath, which was a struggle crime, and we fully dissociate ourselves from these statements,” learn the assertion in French.
CBC reached out to the organizers of the opposite demonstration for remark however didn’t obtain a response by publication.
