Latest news with #NakbaDay
Toronto Sun
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
LILLEY: Toronto Police document accuses Israel of ethnic cleansing
TPS officials say they aren't taking sides but the language in the document says otherwise. Get the latest from Brian Lilley straight to your inbox A Palestinian protest, in the context of a Nakba Day demonstration, passed by Cafe Landwer at University Ave. and Adelaide St. W. with protesters calling for a boycott of the Israeli restaurant chain and one protestor setting off a smoke bomb outside the restaurant on Thursday, May 15, 2025. Photo by Caryma Sa'd Images The knock against the Toronto Police Service over the past 19 months is that they have engaged in two-tier policing. Specifically, when it comes to policing protests that are pro-Palestinian, in many cases outright pro-Hamas, that TPS takes a hands-off approach – that is when they aren't delivering them coffee and donuts. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account A leaked 'event guide' detailing what police officers should expect at a 'Nakba' protest this past weekend may show why TPS behaves the way it does. 'Nakba Day, also known as the Palestinian catastrophe, commemorates the ethnic cleansing of Palestine starting on May 15th, 1948. The date marks the destruction of Palestinian land and mass displacement of the Palestinian population,' the event guide states as fact. These are not statements attributed to the organizers of the event police are being directed to attend, they are just put forward as unquestioned facts. The document went on to talk about how many people were killed and displaced by the 1948 Arab-Israeli war – at least how many Palestinians – and how many villages were destroyed. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'The Nakba is a central aspect for Palestinian national identity, marking the mass displacement of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israel war,' the event guide reads. This is all within the first paragraph of the main body of the guide on how officers should police the event. A screenshot of a Toronto Police document There is no mention that 1 million Jews have been forced out of Arab countries, and Iran, since this same 1948 war. There is no mention that the war was started because Arabs in the region, including what we now call Palestinians, said they would not accept a Jewish state in any form and launched a war to eradicate Israel. That war is still going on and being cheered by those who walk the streets of Toronto chanting about globalizing the intifada and from the river to the sea. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The response from the Toronto Police Service when asked about the event guide is that they don't take sides in protests but clearly in this document, and many would argue their actions, TPS leadership has taken sides. A screenshot of a Toronto Police document. 'As part of our planning process, we often include publicly available descriptions of events, compiled from a range of sources. These references are for operational awareness only and do not reflect any position held by the Toronto Police Service,' spokesperson Stephanie Sayer said via email in response to questions. When an operational guide distributed to officers states that Israel has engaged in ethnic cleansing, when the document reads like Hamas propaganda, you can be sure it makes many officers, especially Jewish officers, wonder about their place in the organization. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. A screenshot of a Toronto Police document 'Using talking points that are indistinguishable from the very terrorist organization that carried out the Oct. 7th attacks to educate their officers demonstrates that leadership is at best, indifferent to the Jewish community and at worst, active in that narrative,' one Jewish police officer told The Toronto Sun. Another source revealed that both Muslim and Jewish officers have expressed concern at the lack of leadership by Chief Myron Demkiw on this file and a recent meeting between these officers and the chief ended with people yelling. Recommended video TPS defends itself by pointing to the 523 demonstrations they've attended since Oct. 7, 2023, and the 145 charges laid, but far too often, as with the events on Saturday, the lone arrest was a Jewish counter protester. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The senior officers in charge on Saturday wouldn't even direct officers to clear the intersection of Yonge and Bloor Sts. to allow an ambulance through to pick up a child in medical stress. As Joe Warmington reported, the ambulance was forced to detour to pick up the child and then had to do a U-turn to take the child to hospital rather than take the most direct route. This all comes down to leadership, or the lack of leadership. In the case of the Toronto Police, officers listen to their senior officers who then take their direction from Demkiw who has utterly failed at this task. Now that we see what kind of language and ideas are put into the planning documents at TPS, the stance and lack of leadership from Demkiw is making all the more sense. Toronto Maple Leafs Columnists Basketball Columnists Crime
Newsweek
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
What Is Project Esther? Plan To Tackle Pro-Palestinian Protests in US
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Months before President Donald Trump returned to office, the creators of Project 2025 unveiled a blueprint to shut down pro-Palestinian activism in the United States. The conservative Heritage Foundation's Project Esther sought to equate actions such as participating in pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses with providing material support for terrorism so that the demonstrators could be deported, face prison time, civil penalties or other serious consequences, The New York Times reported. Newsweek has contacted the Heritage Foundation and the White House for comment via email. Pro-Palestinian protesters participate in a Nakba Day rally and march on May 15, 2025, in Brooklyn, New York City. Pro-Palestinian protesters participate in a Nakba Day rally and march on May 15, 2025, in Brooklyn, New York It Matters The Trump administration appears to have adopted some of the suggestions in Project Esther, including casting pro-Palestinian demonstrators as supporters of Hamas. The administration has withheld federal money from universities, arguing that they allowed antisemitism to go unchecked at campus protests last year, and revoked the visas of international students accused of participating in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Pro-Palestinian protests have flared again on college campuses this year, pushing for the same goal that drove demonstrations last year: an end to university ties with Israel or companies that provides weapons or support to Israel amid its ongoing war in Gaza. What To Know About 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, and about 250 people were taken captive. In the 19 months since, Israel has killed more than 53,000 people in Gaza, the Associated Press reported, citing Palestinian health officials. As anger over Israel's actions in Gaza mounted, the Heritage Foundation unveiled a policy paper called Project Esther on the one-year anniversary of the attack. The document said the "virulently anti-Israel, anti-Zionist and anti-American groups comprising the pro-Palestinian movement" are pro-Hamas and "effectively a terrorist support network." The document said the project's aim was to "dismantle the pro-Hamas support network's infrastructure across America, including but not limited to propaganda, organizations, funds, access, communications, platforms, and people." It includes calls to revoke the visas of international students and faculty who have supported pro-Palestinian causes, deport pro-Palestinian activists, defund organizations that help them and discredit the broader pro-Palestinian movement by casting any critics of Israel as supporters of Hamas. However, many pro-Palestinian groups and activists, some of them Jewish, say they support Palestinian rights, not Hamas or terrorism. What Is The Heritage Foundation? The Heritage Foundation is a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C., What Is Project 2025? Project 2025 is a nearly 1,000-page blueprint for Trump's second term from the Heritage Foundation. It outlined a proposed massive overhaul of the federal government that was drafted by longtime allies of Trump and former Trump administration officials. On the campaign trail, Trump denied it was a blueprint for his second term, but his policies since returning to office reflect many of the positions put forth in Project 2025. What People Are Saying Victoria Coates, a former deputy national security adviser to Trump and the Heritage vice president who oversees Project Esther, told The New York Times that there are clear parallels between Project Esther and recent actions taken by the Trump administration against pro-Palestinian demonstrators. "The phase we're in now is starting to execute some of the lines of effort in terms of legislative, legal and financial penalties for what we consider to be material support for terrorism." Stefanie Fox, the executive director of Jewish Voice for Peace, said on Democracy Now! that Project Esther has "absolutely nothing to do with Jewish safety, and it is intended solely to destroy the Palestinian liberation movement using tools that can then be used against all communities and movements and democracy itself. "We can see clearly that Project Esther sets out a path for the Trump administration to sharpen those legal regimes that will best advance MAGA goals. So, for example, the targeting of international students like Mahmoud Khalil for abduction and deportation because of their political views is a terrifying attempt to expand already-unjust counterterrorism and immigration laws against [the] Palestinian rights movement, immigrant communities and civil liberties writ large." Harrison Fields, the White House's principal deputy press secretary, told Axios in March: "It's always been a core principle of President Trump, his administration and the Republican Party to combat antisemitism, stand with Israel and revoke visas of foreign nationals who support terrorism and jihadism." What Happens Next According to The New York Times, Heritage Action, the think tank's grassroots advocacy arm, is working to help states pass legislation that penalizes those who support boycotts against Israel.
IOL News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
‘Another Nakba will not happen under our watch'
People held a peaceful demonstration at the Castle Of Good Hope in Cape Town on Sunday, joining the global community in commemorating Nakba Day. Image: File Thousands of protesters gathered at the Castle of Good Hope for the remembrance of Nakba Day on Sunday, which marked 77 years of Palestinians' dispossession. They joined tens of thousands who rallied across the world in solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel's war on Gaza and to mark the 1948 attack on Palestinians, remembered as the Nakba, or catastrophe. The Nakba resulted in the permanent mass displacement of Palestinians after the creation of Israel in 1948. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) said as Israel's brutal assault on Gaza and the West Bank intensifies - targeting civilians, journalists, medics and aid workers - the world cannot remain silent. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The PSC demanded a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. It also called for an end to all arms sales to Israel and justice and freedom for Palestinians. 'We are gathering at the Castle of Good Hope - a fortress of colonial violence - to stand against the violence of apartheid in Palestine. Our message is clear: apartheid must end, whether in South Africa's history or Palestine's present,' read a message from the organisers. One of the speakers, Jaamia Galant said the rally was a sign that there should be no more silence over the ongoing fight against Palestine. 'Today we gathered to commemorate the 77 years of Nakba. This is after the displacement of over 700 000 Palestinians from their homes and villages in 1948. This was the beginning of Israel's genocide against the Palestinian people. "For the past 17 months... we have been witnessing the second Nakba in Gaza,' she said. 'More than 50 000, and of them 80% are of women and children, have been massacred with intent, and hundreds of thousands have been left homeless, and are now driven to starvation by Israel's siege of Gaza. This is with the unconditional support of the US and the Western imperial powers to realise a second Nakba,' she said. "We stand here and join all the people in saying we will not allow another Nakba on our watch. Apartheid is a violation of internationally protected human rights. We have told Israel to account,' she said. The government has reiterated its call for an immediate ceasefire and for the resumption of a political process to end the occupation in Gaza by Israel. In a statement, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) said this comes after the killing of 143 Gazans by the Israel Defence Force on May 15, 2025, as Palestinians commemorated the 77th anniversary of Nakba Day. 'The international community must act decisively to hold Israel accountable for violations of international law, pertinently international humanitarian, and human rights law. 'This includes the implementation of effective measures to bring an end to the occupation, the ongoing policies and practices of collective punishment, and the illegal blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip,' Dirco said. Furthermore, Dirco said there must be an immediate halt to the practices of arbitrary and administrative detention, as well as to acts of torture and ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees, particularly children. 'These actions are in clear violation of international humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, and international human rights norms/standards as enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. "It is imperative that all Palestinian detainees held without due process be released, and that all victims – especially children – be provided with adequate compensation and rehabilitation, in accordance with international law and justice. 'The credibility of the international order depends on the consistent application of international law and accountability for all violations, regardless of the perpetrator,' Dirco said. Cape Times
Daily Mail
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Activist Peter Tatchell claims protestors at pro-Palestine march called him 'Zionist scum' and accuses stewards of having him arrested 'for shouting anti-Hamas slogans'
Peter Tatchell yesterday accused stewards at a pro-Palestine march of using the police to 'silence' his criticism of Hamas. The veteran human rights activist was holding a placard which read 'Stop Israel genocide! Stop Hamas executions!' when he was arrested by the Metropolitan Police. Yesterday Scotland Yard admitted that the 73-year-old had been detained in 'error' at the march on Saturday after 'concerns were raised with officers by stewards from the Palestine Coalition protest'. Mr Tatchell was taking part in a protest organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign to commemorate Nakba Day (the anniversary of the displacement of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war). He said he had attended the protest to 'condemn Israel's genocide in Gaza, but also to expose Hamas's execution of Palestinian critics'. 'I find it shocking that the campaign, which I have supported for 54 years, would seek to use the police to silence my criticism of Hamas,' Mr Tatchell said. 'My placard clearly condemned Israel's genocide and supported freedom for Palestine.' He added, 'Before the march started, I was abused, menaced and threatened by a minority of protesters. 'Some said 'f*** off', others said 'get out of here' and accused me of being 'Zionist scum'. 'Despite me being threatened, the police stood by and did nothing. I was frightened for my safety, but the police did not intervene.' Mr Tatchell said Palestine Solidarity Campaign stewards then wrongly told police he had been shouting 'Hamas are terrorists', adding officers told him shouting such a slogan 'was a potential criminal offence'. The activist said he was then approached by a police officer who wrongly believed him to be 'part of a counter protest' and was then arrested for a racially and religiously aggravated breach of the peace under the Public Order Act. The Australian-born campaigner is known for his work spanning more than 50 years championing such causes as LGBT rights and social justice movements. He says he has been offered a knighthood three times, all of which he has turned down. Mr Tatchell said: 'The police singled me out from all the hundreds of people marching in that section... They said they'd been requested to remove me by stewards from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. 'The Palestine Solidarity Campaign has questions to answer. Did they collude with the police to have me arrested and why do they refuse to tolerate criticism of Hamas by supporters of Palestine? 'It's outrageous that criticising Hamas's human rights abuses can get you arrested in Britain in 2025.' The Metropolitan Police said Mr Tatchell would face no further action and that it would review its 'handling of the incident to fully understand what took place'. A spokesman added: 'While officers were acting in good faith based on the information they had received at the time, we now understand that Mr Tatchell was legitimately participating in the Palestine Coalition protest... 'He was released from custody at the earliest opportunity once officers realised that an error had been made.'
IOL News
18-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Thousands gather in Cape Town for Nakba Day rally in solidarity with Palestinians
People held a peaceful demonstration at the Castle Of Good Hope in Cape Town on Sunday, joining the global community in commemorating Nakba Day. Image: File Thousands of protesters gathered at the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town to celebrate the remembrance of Nakba Day on Sunday, which marked 77 years of Palestinians' dispossession. They joined tens of thousands who rallied across the world in solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel's war on Gaza and to mark the 1948 attack on Palestinians, remembered as the Nakba, or catastrophe. The Nakba resulted in the permanent mass displacement of Palestinians after the creation of Israel in 1948. The Nakba Day Rally was a peaceful, family-friendly event, open to all who wish to stand against oppression. Attendees carried Palestinian flags, placards, and their voices. Those who marched said that history is repeating itself as the second Nakba unfolds as Israel plans for the total destruction in Gaza. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) said as Israel's brutal assault on Gaza and the West Bank intensifies - targeting civilians, journalists, medics and aid workers - the world cannot remain silent. The PSC said the rally was part of a global wave of solidarity actions, answering the call of Palestinian workers for an end to complicity in Israel's apartheid. The speakers included human rights activists, community leaders, trade unionists and artists, all lending their voices to the call for freedom and justice. The PSC demanded a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. It also called for an end to all arms sales to Israel and justice and freedom for Palestinians 'We are gathering at the Castle of Good Hope—a fortress of colonial violence—to stand against the violence of apartheid in Palestine. Our message is clear: apartheid must end, whether in South Africa's history or Palestine's present,' read a message from the organisers. One of the speakers, Jaamia Galant said this rally was a sign that there should be no more silence over the ongoing fight against Palestine. She said protestors should not be silent in support of Palestine. 'Today we gathered to commemorate the 77 years of Nakba. This is after the displacement of over 700,000 Palestinians from their homes and villages in 1948. This was the beginning of Israel's genocide against the Palestinian people. "For the past 17 months, and it pains me to say this, we have been witnessing the second Nakba in Gaza,' she said. 'More than 50,000, and of them 80% are of women and children who have been massacred with intent, and hundreds of thousands have been left homeless, and are now driven to starvation by Israel's siege of Gaza. This is with the unconditional support of the US and the Western imperial powers to realise a second Nakba,' she said. "Today we stand here and join all the people in saying we will not allow another Nakba on our watch. Apartheid is a violation of internationally protected human rights. We have told Israel to account,' she said, calling for sanctions to be imposed against Israel. Meanwhile, the government has reiterated its call for an immediate ceasefire and for the resumption of a political process to end the occupation in Gaza by Israel. A statement, released by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) on Sunday, said this comes after the killing of 143 Gazans by the Israel Defence Force on May 15, 2025, as Palestinians commemorated the 77th anniversary of Nakba Day. 'The international community must act decisively to hold Israel accountable for violations of international law, pertinently international humanitarian, and human rights law. 'This includes the implementation of effective measures to bring an end to the occupation, the ongoing policies and practices of collective punishment, and the illegal blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip,' Dirco said. Furthermore, Dirco said there must be an immediate halt to the practices of arbitrary and administrative detention, as well as to acts of torture and ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees, particularly children. 'These actions are in clear violation of international humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, and international human rights norms/standards as enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. "It is imperative that all Palestinian detainees held without due process be released, and that all victims – especially children – be provided with adequate compensation and rehabilitation, in accordance with international law and justice. 'The credibility of the international order depends on the consistent application of international law and accountability for all violations, regardless of the perpetrator,' Dirco said
