Anti-Israel demonstrations began sprouting up across North America within days of the terrorist attack upon Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The demonstrations were initially large, and many demonstrators claimed they were seeking to promote peace in the Middle East. They continually told us they wanted to encourage a two-state solution and wanted what was best for people in the region. Anti-Jewish sentiment kept slipping out of the protests but we were assured those were just minority voices who spoke out of frustration with the conflict.
Canadians were shocked by the imagery of hate and demonstration of support for such reprehensible acts as what happened on Oct. 7. We are one of the most easygoing and peaceful nations on earth, right?
How did we get here?
The evolution of what began as predominantly pro-Palestine demonstrations into the hate protests that are now dominating the gatherings has been happening for a year. When protesters weren’t garnering enough attention with peaceful street demonstrations, they moved into shopping malls to intimidate customers and business owners. When that didn’t get them what they wanted, they began targeting Jewish-owned businesses and neighbourhoods. Their actions and language became increasingly intolerant and aggressive while politicians at all levels of government embraced wilful blindness and hoped the protests would fizzle away with time. Clearly, they won’t.
Governments at all levels can no longer kick the can down the road. Some lines must be drawn in the sand and limits placed upon what will be tolerated in the streets of Canada.
But imposing limits on the right to free expression is a dicey business. The ability to protest is essential in a democracy, even if the position is unpopular. We do understand that all rights have limitations, though. If masked Ku Klux Klan members continually marched through neighbourhoods with large black populations while chanting for the death of the nation, how many minutes would it take before police intervened? The targeting of Canadian Jews by masked extremists is no less dangerous, nor should it be tolerated any longer.
Offensive protests must be tolerated and even protected. Burning a flag enrages many people, but it shouldn’t be illegalized. Calling for violence and death to a nation while supporting terrorist organizations goes well beyond reasonable free expression, though.
Banning a single organization won’t stop the fundraising for terrorism nor stop the protests, but it would show that the government is ready to put its foot down. Few Canadians will weep for the loss of an organization that burns their national flag and calls for the death of their country.
If the federal government takes a stance, provincial and municipal governments can feel more confident in applying policing to these demonstrations when needed.
The protests are getting smaller all the time as moderate people no longer feel comfortable within them. Unfortunately, that allows the extremists to dominate the crowds. Threats of violence, acts of intimidation, and property damage will only become worse if demonstrators feel they can get away with it. Something tragic will happen if the fuse isn’t cut on this bomb soon.
Can our political leaders unite and agree to pursue the concepts of peace and order? Presumably, we won’t have a good government until that happens.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.