ARPCF Condemns Defamation Campaign Against CUPE Ontario President for Supporting Palestine
Montreal, Aug 23, 2024— The Anti-Racism Program of the CJPME Foundation (ARPCF) condemns the recent campaign of defamation against Fred Hahn, President of CUPE Ontario, which is orchestrated by certain pro-Israeli factions, media outlets, and even the CUPE National Executive. This campaign maliciously accuses Hahn of antisemitism based on decontextualized comments and a misrepresentation of his legitimate criticism of Israel's policies and actions.
ARPCF Condemns MP Wayne Long's Anti-Palestinian Actions in Saint John, NB
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Montreal, Aug 22, 2024— The Anti-Racism Program of the CJPME Foundation (ARPCF) condemns the persistent and public anti-Palestinian actions of MP Wayne Long in Saint John, N.B. Over the past several months, MP Long has engaged in a deliberate campaign to discredit and intimidate local Palestine solidarity activists. His tactics include spreading misinformation and unfounded allegations against activists to distract from his government’s role in supporting the ongoing illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine and Israel’s human rights violations in Gaza.
ARPCF Expresses Concern Over Hot Docs Programmers’ Resignation Due to Silencing of Pro-Palestine Voices
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Montreal, April 2, 2024 – The Anti-Racism Program of the CJPME Foundation (ARPCF) voices deep concern and disappointment over the recent mass resignation of ten members of the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival programming team. This unprecedented move underscores a troubling trend with cultural institutions, where voices of Palestinian and their allies are often marginalized or disregarded. The mass resignation of ten members of the programming team, including, veterans Myrocia Watamaniuk and Angie Driscoll, signals a concerning disconnect in the festival’s commitment to diverse and inclusive storytelling, particularly regarding Palestinian narratives.
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Arrest of Calgary protest organizer Wesam Khaled
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On Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, following a large and successful protest against spiraling Israeli violence against Palestinian civilians in Gaza, Palestinian-Canadian protest organiser Wesam Khaled was arrested by the Calgary Police Service (CPS.)[1] Charged with "disturbing the peace," the police told Khaled that the charge was related to his use of the chant "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which the police decided to treat as an “offensive anti-semitic comment.” Khaled was released on the condition that he not attend any protests until his court date.
CTV’s Firing Palestinian journalist Yara Jamal
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On October 2023, Yara Jamal, a Palestinian-Canadian journalist working for CTV News, was fired for statements she made while expressing her public support for Palestine. Jamal, a cofounder of @freepalestinehalifax, an Instagram account dedicated to Palestinian human rights, had recently organized a rally in opposition to Israel’s bombing of Gaza. During the protest she was interviewed and asked whether Jewish people “could exist in a free Palestine.” Jamal answered: “Yes, Jews can exist, the Zionist ideology cannot.”[1] [2] In a video released after her firing, Jamal clarified her intent saying, “Logically, a free Palestine cannot exist with an occupation or with a state that was labelled an apartheid state by human rights organizations.” Her statement was not based in animus against Jews, nor was she calling for any form of mass violence against Israelis[3].
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Dismissal of Global News Journalist Zahraa Al-Akhrass
Zahraa Al-Akhrass, a Palestinian online video journalist working for Global News, was dismissed from her position on October 17, 2023.[1] Leading up to her termination, Al-Akhrass had been actively posting on social media, expressing her critical views on Israel’s violence against Palestinians in Gaza, and sharing her personal connection to the Palestinian cause[2]. These posts, which detailed her perspective on the conflict and criticized the actions contributing to Palestinian suffering, were at the heart of the issue leading to her dismissal.