Latest news with #NationalHolocaustMemorial
Global News
2 days ago
- Global News
Jewish Canadians were the most targeted religious group in 2024, data shows
Hate crimes in Canada rose for the sixth straight year, according to recent data from Statistics Canada, which shows attacks against the Jewish community far outweighed other types of religiously motivated attacks in 2024. The report released last week provides some insight into the motivations of police-reported hate crimes. The top factor was race and ethnicity, religion was the second most common motivating factor and sexual orientation came third. In total, there were 4,882 hate crimes reported in 2024, an increase of one per cent from the 4,828 in 2023, part of a broader surge in hate crimes reported since 2020. Within the category of hate crimes motivated by religion, 2024 saw 1,342 hate crimes, which was roughly the same as 2023 at 1,345, and up from 768 in 2022. In 2024, of the 1,343 reported hate crimes that were classified as motivated by religion, those targeting the Jewish community accounted for 920, or roughly 68 per cent. Story continues below advertisement The next largest number of religiously motivated hate crimes were those targeting Muslim Canadians, with 229 reports in 2024, up slightly from 220 incidents in 2023 and 109 in 2022. For Catholics, 61 hate crimes were reported in 2024, compared to 49 in 2023 and 52 in 2022. Religious groups classified by Statistics Canada under the 'other' category saw rising hate crime reports as well, with 105 incidents in 2024, 85 in 2023 and 62 in 2022. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The findings come just over one month after the National Holocaust Memorial in Ottawa was defaced, leading to charges against a 46-year-old Ottawa man. The investigation was led by the Ottawa Police Service's hate and bias crime unit. 'The latest police-crime statistics are shocking — in 2024, a Jewish Canadian was 25 times more likely to experience a hate crime than any other Canadian,' said Noah Shack, CEO at the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, in an emailed statement. 'But numbers don't paint the full picture. They reflect only a fraction of what Jewish Canadians experience every day. The daily reality is families wondering if it's safe to walk to synagogue, school buses being checked for explosives, and students being bullied and harassed for being Jewish.' 2:11 'Overwhelmed with terror:' Hijab-wearing woman attacked in Ajax library The Muslim Canadian community has also been the focus of religiously motivated hate crimes and attacks, with police reported incidents also on the rise. The Muslim Advisory Council of Canada (MACC) describes the rising trend as 'deeply troubling, but sadly not surprising.' Story continues below advertisement 'Our communities continue to be singled out for their faith, facing verbal abuse, physical attacks, and systemic discrimination across public and private spaces,' says board director Tabassum Wyne at the MACC in an emailed statement. 'This data confirms what we've long been raising: anti-Muslim hate in Canada is not only persistent, it's growing and it's putting lives at risk. Behind these numbers are people, families, living in fear. That cannot be the Canadian reality we accept.' 2:05 'Normalization of hate': B'nai Brith Canada reports dramatic rise in antisemitism Although instances of antisemitism are not new in Canada, the recent spikes in reports of hate crimes targeting the Jewish community increased year-over-year by 82 per cent in 2023 compared to 2022, Statistics Canada data shows. Late 2023 marked the start of a tense conflict in the Middle East stemming from the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Story continues below advertisement The attack killed 1,200 people in Israel, with hundreds taken hostage. The conflict has continued to escalate and remains ongoing, with attempts to reach a ceasefire repeatedly failing.
Toronto Star
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Canada's envoy for combatting antisemitism Deborah Lyons leaving post early
Deborah Lyons, the departing envoy for combatting antisemitism, sits with former prime minister Justin Trudeau and then deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland at the National Holocaust Memorial in 2024. Adrian Wyld/ The Canadian Press flag wire: true flag sponsored: false article_type: : sWebsitePrimaryPublication : publications/toronto_star bHasMigratedAvatar : false :
CTV News
17-07-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Canada's envoy for combatting antisemitism Deborah Lyons leaving post early
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sits with Canada's Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism Deborah Lyons and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland, during a service marking the 79th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp at the National Holocaust Memorial, in Ottawa, Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Edmonton Journal
29-06-2025
- Edmonton Journal
Man accused in Holocaust Memorial vandalism is City of Ottawa lawyer on leave
Article content The 46-year-old man who faces a number of charges after the National Holocaust Memorial was vandalized with red paint on June 9 is an Ottawa city lawyer on leave. Iain Aspenlieder has been charged with mischief to a war monument, mischief exceeding $5,000 and harassment by threatening conduct. Aspenlieder is listed in Ontario's Sunshine List as a legal counsel with the City of Ottawa with a salary of $148,246.65 as of 2024.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Police get new powers to protect places of worship
Police forces will be given new powers to manage protests near sites of worship, the Home Office has said. The government said the powers were in response to a series of "intimidating protests" near synagogues and mosques in recent months. The new measures will make it easier for police to impose conditions on protest - including on the route and timing of a march - that might disrupt worshippers attempting to visit religious sites. In addition, a new law that bans people from climbing on war memorials will be extended to cover the National Holocaust Memorial, which is set to be built in Westminster in the coming years. The new powers, which are being introduced as amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill, protects synagogues, mosques, churches and all other religious sites. Among other things, current legislation allows the police to impose conditions on a protest if they believe the "purpose of those organising the protest is the intimidation of others", the Home Office said. The new legislation will allow police to impose conditions on a protest "specifically if they have a reasonable belief that the protest may result in the intimidation of those seeking to access places of worship". The Home Office said the new rules would give police "total clarity on how and when they can protect religious sites". The updated laws come partly in response to recent demonstrations near synagogues that have "caused the cancellation of events" and dissuaded congregants from travelling to worship, the Home Office said. The government also cited the targeting of mosques during the violent disorder that broke out last summer as a reason for introducing the amendments. Anti-Semitic hate crimes have increased by 113% in the last year, and anti-Muslim hate crime has risen by 13%, according to police figures quoted by the Home Office. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said that while "the right to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy", that right "does not include the right to intimidate or infringe on the fundamental freedoms of others." The government said police will still have to make a "proportionality assessment", which balances the "right to freedom of expression with the right for others to go about their daily lives free from intimidation and serious disruption", before imposing conditions on protects. The government said it is also providing "up to £50m" to protect faith communities in the next year. Holocaust Memorial plans to go back to Parliament
