A pro-Israel rally, dubbed "Calgary for Israel," was held last evening in front of City Hall. The event was organized by Ezra Levant, a
Sun News Network personality.
Levant organized the demonstration in the wake of the pro-Palestinian demonstration that occurred in the same place on July 18. Several of the pro-Palestinian demonstrators crossed the street and attacked a small group of Jews and Christians holding Israeli flags. As
Canada Free Press previously reported, the police were not present and made no arrests despite one man taken to hospital with a suspected concussion and a woman having been punched, kicked and thrown to the ground.
Levant spoke at yesterday's demonstration and was highly critical of both Naheed Nenshi, the city's first Muslim mayor, and the Calgary Police Service. Levant told the crowd of approximately 600 that although Nenshi issued a general statement saying "
We all must condemn violence," the mayor did not specifically address the attacks on the pro-Israel supporters. Nenshi also did not appear at the rally despite having been invited.
Tarek Fatah, a columnist and author and a real-life moderate Muslim who speaks out against violence perpetrated by members of the religion of peace, also spoke.
Police Blaming the Victims
One of the demonstrators who was wearing an Israeli flag on July 18, said a police officer asked him what he expected by wearing an Israeli flag, therefore blaming the victim. And Sgt. Steve Adair told the media the reason the police did not intervene was that it was a "
mutual altercation." Apparently in Calgary, punching and knocking a woman to the ground falls under the category of a mutual altercation. A shameful statement by someone whose job is supposedly to keep the peace.
The fact that some of the pro-Israel supporters said their Israeli flags were ripped from their bodies seemed to be no big deal to the Calgary Police Service. Unless the Criminal Code of Canada has been recently amended, taking someone else's property constitutes theft.
Adair's statement that the police did nothing was later contradicted by Calgary Police Chief Rick Hanson. Hanson admitted the police were caught off guard and unprepared for the violence although police in other cities seemed to figure out physical altercations are always possible between pro and anti-Israel supporters. Either Adair or Hanson appear to be lying. The only comment on this is that since both men are police officers you would think they could lie better.
Not only did Hanson admit the service was unprepared but it appears he actually gets it. According to the
Calgary Herald, Hanson acknowledged the function of the police was to protect the safety of the city's citizens and said senior officers were "
mortified," and "
shared a bit of embarrassment over what happened." The chief correctly understood that the incident is fueling the perception that the Calgary police are "
a bunch of rednecks."
Yesterday, Levant told the crowd he was not accepting Hanson's apology because no arrests have been made and no charges laid in connection with the July 18 attacks.
On his
Sun News Network show, Levant criticized one of the organizers of the July 18 rally, Saima Jamal, for not going to the police to provide information about those who crossed the street and attacked the small group of Israel supporters. WRONG!
Immediately after the criminal acts took place, Jamal stated she intended her rally to be peaceful and said she would issue an apology. Unlike Adair, she did not refute the fact pro-Palestinians crossed the street to confront the other group, nor did she characterize what happened as a little mutual pushing and shoving match while the police that were there stood by and watched. The onus is not on her to spend her time contacting the police about something they appear to have absolutely no interest in. If the cops cared about policing more than their image they would have contacted her. She's not hard to find.
CBC is reporting Meir Weinstein, head of the Toronto-based Jewish Defence League, has been asked by several people to open a branch in Calgary. Weinstein said his group hopes to open a branch later this month.
Levant told the crowd that Calgary is not Gaza. Give it time, Ezra, give it time.
