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Vancouver Sun
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Ottawa Jewish leaders decry 'brazen act of desecration' at National Holocaust Monument
Before the Ottawa Police Service confirmed that graffiti found at the National Holocaust Monument on Monday morning would be investigated as a hate crime, the vandalism had already drawn condemnation as an antisemitic attack. Lawrence Greenspon, co-chair of the monument's governing committee, said the words 'FEED ME' painted on the wall and red paint splashed elsewhere left little room for interpretation. 'This is not graffiti,' he told National Post. 'This is a hate message and it comes from the hatred that is generated because of the consensus of many that Israel is to blame for the plight of the Gazans.' 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. Greenspon, the son of Holocaust survivor Stan Greenspon, said waking up to news of the defilement was painful and personal. In a statement, Jewish Federation of Ottawa CEO and President Adam Silver called it 'a brazen act of desecration' that was more than just vandalism. 'The Monument was built as a permanent reminder of the consequences of unchecked hatred, bigotry, and antisemitism,' he wrote. 'To see it defaced is to witness, once again, the persistence of those very forces in our own society.' Both expressed shock that such a crime would occur in the nation's capital. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), meanwhile, labelled the vandalism as 'absolutely disgusting' in a post to X. 'Is this what the 'pro-Palestinian movement has come to? Targeting victims of the Holocaust.' Ottawa, 2025 Crews are in the process of removing the graffiti. The incident is one of the latest to underscore growing antisemitism in Canada and Western nations in general, as hostilities between Israel and Hamas have escalated since the terrorist organization's attack on Oct. 7, 2023. 'As a son of a Holocaust survivor, I never expected that my daughter would be living in a world where antisemitism is at the level that it is at,' Greenspon said. Silver said the growth 'underscores the urgent need for education, vigilance, and action,' not just remembrance. The hate and bias crime unit is handling the investigation, according to OPS, which said in a statement it 'treats incidents of this nature seriously and recognizes the profound impact they have on the community.' Witnesses or anyone with information are encouraged to contact the authorities. Greenspon said that while he appreciates OPS's quick response and celebrates prosecutions for crimes like these, it will take more than the usual condemnation from political leaders if they truly hope to address the root cause of antisemitism. Canada, he said, needs 'to stop blaming, along with England and France, Israel for a situation that it did not create.' 'They need to stop blaming Israel for the food and water and medical aid that is much needed but is not getting through to the Gazans because of Hamas, and that's been the case for years.' Greenspon also said Canada and other nations should no longer contribute money to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East because he alleged those funds are being appropriated by Hamas to support their terrorism. Last year, the outreach agency fired nine employees with suspected ties to Hamas and the Oct. 7 attack. Israel had sent UNWRA a list of 108 employees it deemed to be Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists, demanding that they immediately be fired. In a post to X earlier Monday, Prime Minister Mark Carney said 'we can't look away' from the rising antisemitism in Canada after visiting the Nova Music Festival Exhibition in Toronto, a travelling display dedicated to the victims of Oct 7. The Nova Music Festival Exhibition tells the story of the brutal massacre carried out by the terrorist entity Hamas on October 7, 2023. Young Israeli revellers came together that day to dance and celebrate, and were targeted by inconceivable violence. I came to witness… 'Young Israeli revellers came together that day to dance and celebrate, and were targeted by inconceivable violence,' Carney wrote. 'I came to witness accounts of the atrocities committed — and hear directly from survivors and families of those murdered and taken hostage.' Also on X, Conservative Party of Canada Leader Pierre Poilievre said 'antisemitic thugs… should be caught and locked up' while deputy leader Melissa Lantsman called it 'a disgusting cowardly act.' 'Parliament is just steps away — that's where dissent belongs. Defacing sacred ground in honour of the millions of victims of the Holocaust in the middle of the night with spray paint isn't protest, it's vandalism,' she posted to X Monday morning. Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said he was shocked and disturbed to see the memorial defaced. 'Protests and demonstrations are an essential part of our democracy,' he wrote on X . 'Disfiguring a sacred monument in a way that will traumatize victims, survivors and their families is not.' Deborah Lyons, Canada's special envoy for preserving Holocaust remembrance and combating antisemitism, vowed to immediately contact authorities about the ' disgusting display of Jew Hatred' in the capital. 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 .
Calgary Herald
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
Ottawa Jewish leaders decry 'brazen act of desecration' at National Holocaust Monument
Article content Crews are in the process of removing the graffiti. Article content The incident is one of the latest to underscore growing antisemitism in Canada and Western nations in general, as hostilities between Israel and Hamas have escalated since the terrorist organization's attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Article content 'As a son of a Holocaust survivor, I never expected that my daughter would be living in a world where antisemitism is at the level that it is at,' Greenspon said. Article content Silver said the growth 'underscores the urgent need for education, vigilance, and action,' not just remembrance. Article content The hate and bias crime unit is handling the investigation, according to OPS, which said in a statement it 'treats incidents of this nature seriously and recognizes the profound impact they have on the community.' Article content Article content Article content Greenspon said that while he appreciates OPS's quick response and celebrates prosecutions for crimes like these, it will take more than the usual condemnation from political leaders if they truly hope to address the root cause of antisemitism. Article content Canada, he said, needs 'to stop blaming, along with England and France, Israel for a situation that it did not create.' Article content 'They need to stop blaming Israel for the food and water and medical aid that is much needed but is not getting through to the Gazans because of Hamas, and that's been the case for years.' Article content Greenspon also said Canada and other nations should no longer contribute money to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East because he alleged those funds are being appropriated by Hamas to support their terrorism. Article content Last year, the outreach agency fired nine employees with suspected ties to Hamas and the Oct. 7 attack. Israel had sent UNWRA a list of 108 employees it deemed to be Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists, demanding that they immediately be fired. Article content Article content In a post to X earlier Monday, Prime Minister Mark Carney said 'we can't look away' from the rising antisemitism in Canada after visiting the Nova Music Festival Exhibition in Toronto, a travelling display dedicated to the victims of Oct 7. Article content The Nova Music Festival Exhibition tells the story of the brutal massacre carried out by the terrorist entity Hamas on October 7, 2023. Young Israeli revellers came together that day to dance and celebrate, and were targeted by inconceivable violence. I came to witness… — Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) June 9, 2025
Epoch Times
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Lawrence Greenspon Defends the Fundamental Freedoms of All Canadians
Commentary 'Law is an imperfect profession,' famed American lawyer Alan Dershowitz—defender of such notorious clients as Claus Von Bülow, Jeffrey Epstein, Harvey Weinstein, and O.J. Simpson—once wrote. 'There is no perfect justice … But there is perfect injustice, and we know it when we see it.' Like Dershowitz, Lawrence Greenspon has spent a career fighting injustice in all its forms. Over the past 45 years, Greenspon has become one of Canada's best-known criminal lawyers through his defence of a long list of clients at risk of being crushed by the legal system—from terrorists to political pariahs to, In taking on these cases, Greenspon is not only giving his clients the best defence possible, he's also defending the very legitimacy of Canada's legal system. Lich faced six charges and up to 10 years in jail for her role organizing the peaceful Ottawa protest. Earlier this month she was found guilty on a single charge of mischief. The Crown says it intends to seek a In an interview, Greenspon said he decides on cases based on whether he believes in the cause central to the case: 'What's at stake. And can I make a difference?' What attracted him to Lich's case were key aspects of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that he felt needed defending. 'Canadians have a constitutionally protected right to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly,' he said. 'These are fundamental freedoms, and they're supposed to be protected for all of us.' Related Stories 11/19/2024 11/2/2023 At issue was the impact the protest had on some downtown Ottawa residents and whether that conflicted with Lich's right to free speech and peaceful protest. 'We were prepared to admit right off the bat that there were individuals who lived in downtown Ottawa who experienced some interference with their enjoyment of their property,' Greenspon noted. 'But when you put freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly on a scale against interference with somebody's enjoyment of property, there's no contest. Freedom of association and peaceful assembly, and freedom of expression – these should win every time.' Such a spirited defence of Canadians' Charter rights is characteristic of the entire body of Greenspon's legal work, although his clients aren't always as endearing as Lich. Prior to being in the spotlight for the Lich trial, most Canadians probably remember Greenspon from the 2008 trial of 'The fundamental point is that everybody's entitled to a defence,' he said. What really mattered was the constitutionality of the new terror law, which Greenspon argued impinged on the free speech rights of Canadians. In 2018 Greenspon represented He also defended Sen. Throughout his legal career, Greenspon has fought tirelessly for the constitutional rights of all his clients, regardless of public sympathy or apparent guilt. While such a stance can make him unpopular, such work offers a crucial bulwark against the state's misuse of its authority in pursuing particular individuals, as well as the gradual erosion of the liberties promised to all Canadians by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Every Canadian has a stake in ensuring the court system is held to account at all times, regardless of the apparent evidence, current political mood or public support. Without the work of lawyers such as Greenspon, Charter rights can soon deteriorate into empty platitudes—as the federal government's shocking treatment of the peaceful Freedom Convoy protesters revealed. That included the unjustified imposition of the Emergencies Act, the freezing of donors' bank accounts, the mass arrest of supporters, and the marked reluctance to grant bail to those charged. As Greenspon pointed out numerous times during the trial, the conciliatory and always respectful Lich represents the very ideals of peaceful protest in Canada. And for the sole charge on which she was convicted, she still faces two years in a federal penitentiary. In the case of Khawaja, Greenspon was asked by an Ottawa synagogue to explain why he, as a Jew, was defending an Islamist terrorist. 'I told the synagogue members, somebody has to stand up for the person who finds themselves set against the entire machinery of the state. In this case it happens to be Khawaja. But what if the next guy is named Dreyfus?' Lynne Cohen is a writer at Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
