Latest news with #FriendsofSimonWiesenthalCenter
Ottawa Citizen
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
Nazi collaborator's name initially engraved on the Victims of Communism memorial
Article content 'Over the years, we have submitted documentation detailing the atrocities committed by several individuals on the (memorial) list – including in 2021, when we provided comprehensive evidence of the war crimes committed by Janis Niedra against Latvia's Jewish population,' said Kirzner-Roberts. 'It is deeply disturbing that, despite our repeated warnings and the clear, documented evidence, the name of a Nazi involved in the murder of Jews during the Holocaust was ultimately engraved on the Memorial. This is simply unacceptable.' Article content The memorial, which is located near the corner of Wellington and Bay streets, is supposed to honour those who suffered under communism. But concerns have been raised over the years by Jewish organizations and historians that names of eastern Europeans who collaborated with the Nazis in the Holocaust have been put forward in an attempt to whitewash their past. Article content In 2021, the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center revealed that Roman Shukhevych, a Ukrainian nationalist who collaborated with the Nazis and was linked to the massacres of Jews and Poles, was one of those being commemorated. Only after the group repeatedly raised the matter with the department was Shukhevych's name removed. Article content Article content Article content The monument has been the focus of multiple controversies over its exact purpose, location, size and cost over the last 15 years. The price tag for the project ballooned to an estimated $7.5 million — including $6 million in public funds — from an original budget of $1.5 million. The cost of the memorial was supposed to be funded entirely through private donations from Tribute to Liberty, the organization behind the monument. But those fundraising efforts fell far short and taxpayers had to foot most of the cost. Article content Ludwik Klimkowski, chairman of Tribute to Liberty, did not respond to a request for comment. Article content But in a Dec. 14, 2024 post on the social media platform X, Klimkowski responded to concerns the monument was honouring Nazi collaborators. 'Let's stop the nonsense of the Nazi commemoration nonsense perpetrated by Canadian Marxists and the agents of the Kremlin's regime,' Klimkowski wrote. Article content Holocaust scholars and Jewish groups have continued to denounce claims their efforts to expose Nazi war criminals and collaborators are part of some Russian plot or disinformation scheme. The fact that some eastern Europeans played key roles in the Holocaust and supporting the Nazi regime is well documented, they add. Article content Article content Federal officials in other departments have also continued to warn Canadian Heritage that the inclusion of Nazi collaborators on the memorial will cause international embarrassment. 'It is important to note that many anti-communist and anti-Soviet advocates and fighters were also active Nazi collaborators, who committed documented massacres,' Global Affairs Canada officials warned their counterparts at Canadian Heritage in 2021. Those records were obtained by the Ottawa Citizen using the access law. Article content In addition, on Oct. 7, 2024 the Ottawa Citizen revealed that a report prepared for Canadian Heritage recommended more than half of the 550 names planned to go on the memorial should be removed. That was because of potential links to the Nazis, questions about affiliations with fascist groups or a lack of information about what the individuals did during the Second World War. As originally planned, there were to be 553 entries on the memorial's Wall of Remembrance. Article content The department had already determined that 50 to 60 of the names or organizations were likely directly linked to the Nazis, according to the documents.
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Jewish community bears brunt of Toronto's rising hate crimes
Live Events Graffiti, vandalism, and the challenge of justice Masked offenders exploit post-COVID reluctance to enforce anti-disguise laws. Weak prosecutions leave hate crimes with the lowest charge rates in Canada. Political inaction means repeat offenders face little deterrence. Neighbourhoods on edge FSWC is lobbying for tougher hate crime laws and mask bans during offenses. Toronto Police are expanding outreach but stress evidence hurdles. Advocates urge citizens to report incidents—even "small" acts of vandalism. (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel When Jaime Kirzner-Roberts opens the latest Toronto police hate crime report, the numbers confirm what she already knows—what her friends, colleagues, and neighbors all know.177 incidents targeting Jews in 2024. A 40 per cent share of all hate crimes. A small community, just 4 per cent of the city, carrying an outsized burden of fear.'We are the leading target of hate-motivated crimes by a very, very large margin,' says Kirzner-Roberts, senior director at the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC). 'And in per capita terms? It's even more shocking.'The report, released this week, shows hate crimes in Toronto rose 19 per cent in 2024, the third consecutive increase, with nearly half driven by religion. Jews were the most frequent victims, followed by the LGBTQ+ and Black communities. For many, the statistics aren't just data; they're personal.'If it hasn't happened to us, we know somebody it has happened to,' Kirzner-Roberts anti-Jewish hate crimes fall under 'mischief', a bland legal term masking the ugliness of swastikas scratched into synagogue doors, cemeteries defaced, and schools tagged with slurs. Of 148 such incidents reported last year, only 10 led to charges.'Many offences happen without witnesses, without forensic evidence,' the police report admits. But Kirzner-Roberts argues the problem runs deeper:'It's not the police who need to change, it's the lawmakers,' she worst-hit areas? 52 Division (north Toronto, home to many Jewish families) and 32 Division (downtown, including the islands). Public transit saw an 88 per cent spike in hate crimes, graffiti doubling, assaults up by a there are glimmers of hope. Toronto police have worked closely with Jewish groups, developing antisemitism training for officers. The FSWC is pushing for similar education for transit staff, hoping to curb attacks on subways and Kirzner-Roberts' plea is broader: Wake up.'I hope these numbers finally push leaders, municipal, provincial, federal, to make this a priority.'Because behind every statistic is a person. A family. A community wondering if they'll be next?"Silence," says Kirzner-Roberts, "isn't an option anymore."
Vancouver Sun
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Jews target of 40% of total hate crimes last year: Toronto police
New data released this week by the Toronto Police Service shows that reported hate crimes in the city rose 19 per cent in 2024 over the previous year. It also found that the Jewish community, while representing less than four per cent of Toronto's population, was the target of 40 per cent of reported incidents. 'We are the leading target of hate motivated crimes by a very very large margin,' Jaime Kirzner-Roberts, senior director of policy and advocacy at the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) , told National Post. 'And that's in absolute numbers. In per capita it becomes even more shocking because we are actually a very small part of the population.' The 443 hate crimes reported to police in 2024 represents the third year in a row that numbers have increased, up from 372 reports the previous year, and 246 in 2023. Numbers had remained relatively flat from 2014 through 2019, with about 140 reports per year, before starting to rise. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Almost half (46 per cent) of reported hate crimes were linked to religion, with a further 24 per cent based on race, and the remainder divided among sexual orientation (14 per cent), ethnicity (12 per cent) and gender identity (4 per cent). Police figures show that hate crimes against Jews made up the largest single group, with 177 reported incidents in 2024. This compared to 79 incidents related to sexual orientation, and 76 aimed at the Black community. Hate crimes against Muslims were down slightly from the previous years (28 compared to 33), while those against Asians had risen to 56 from 31 in the previous year. 'The report is confirming what the entire Jewish community already knows, which is that hate incidents targeting our community are increasing dramatically,' Kirzner-Roberts said. 'If it hasn't happened to us we know somebody that it has happened to.' 'Mischief occurrences' made up most of the hate crimes levelled at Jews, with 148 reported incidents, and anti-Jewish mischief related hate crimes made up a third of all hate crimes in 2024. Other types of hate crimes, including assault, uttering threats and criminal harassment, were more likely to be reported in connection with sexual orientation. Despite its innocuous name, 'mischief' covers graffiti and vandalism, and can include carving or spray-painting neo-Nazi imagery on a building or cemetery. 'Many offences are committed without a victim present, few or no witnesses, and little forensic or digital evidence,' the police report notes, adding: 'This is particularly true of mischief offences.' This would explain why, while charges for hate crimes were up 81 per cent in 2024 to 115, the vast majority of those charges were for assaults and threats, with only 10 linked to mischief offences. Kirzner-Roberts said the problem of low rates of arrests and charges goes beyond mischief offences and beyond Toronto's borders. 'At the federal level, hate crimes are one of the least likely reported crimes to lead to charges, and among the least likely crimes for police to be able to identify the suspect. This is another piece of where the system is failing.' She added: 'It is illegal to disguise oneself by wearing a mask while commuting a crime, but police have been hesitant to lay these kind of charges in the post-COVID era. This law needs to be strengthened, clarified and enforced. If one is involved in political activities on the street then one needs to be accountable and identifiable for that. We would like to see courage in our political leadership to make that case clearly.' The highest number of hate crimes reported were in 52 division (67 crimes) and 32 division (78). The first of those regions is bordered by Bayview, Steeles, Lawrence and Caledonia, and is home to a high concentration of Toronto's Jewish population. The second runs between Yonge and Spadina, from Bloor to the lake, and includes the Toronto Islands. 'The police have been a fantastic partner to the Jewish community over the last 18 months where we've seen this horrific escalation,' Kirzner-Roberts said. 'They continue to show in every way their dedication to protecting Toronto's Jewish community and deterring hate-motivated crimes.' She added: 'It's not the police that need to make changes, it's lawmakers that need to make changes. I'm hoping that these statistics will be a wakeup call to our leaders at the municipal level, at the provincial level and the federal level to finally put this issue on the priority list.' The FSWC is working with Toronto Police on the development of a mandatory training module that educates service members on Judaism and antisemitism, the impact of antisemitism on the Jewish community, and the importance of allyship. It is also advocating for education on antisemitism to be prioritized across sectors where such hate is surging, particularly with the Toronto Transit Commission and its special constables. The police report noted an increase of hate motivated occurrences on public transit in 2024, with an 88 per cent increase to 95 occurrences in 2024 from 50 the previous year. Mischief-related occurrences on transit more than doubled, and assaults increased by almost a third. The report will be formally released at a pubic meeting on May 14. It will be livestreamed at . Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
CBC
28-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Charges dropped for 3 more people accused in Indigo bookstore vandalism: lawyer
A Toronto lawyer says charges have been withdrawn against three more people accused of defacing a downtown Indigo bookstore in a 2023 protest. Arash Ghiassi, who represents two people in the group of accused, says that means seven out of 11 people have seen their charges dropped in the case. Ghiassi says two members of the group pleaded guilty on Thursday and will be seeking absolute discharges from the court, which were granted to two others who previously entered guilty pleas. Toronto police laid charges of mischief, conspiracy and criminal harassment after the store was postered and splashed with red paint in what they described at the time as "suspected hate-motivated offences." Indigo founder and chief executive Heather Reisman, who is Jewish, has been a target of protests over a foundation she started with her husband that offers scholarships to people with no family ties in Israel who served in that country's military. The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center and other organizations have denounced the Indigo protests as antisemitic, an allegation denied by protesters and their supporters. Activists have accused the police and others of mischaracterizing the November 2023 protest as "hate-motivated" in an effort to silence pro-Palestinian groups, and alleged that officers carried out unjustified raids on the accused as they made the arrests. Toronto police have previously said their officers carried out "judicially authorized" search warrants as part of the investigation.
