Monday, June 1, 2026
ADVT 
National

Eby deplores 'most hateful' speech praising Hamas attack, as UBC protest camp begins

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 29 Apr, 2024 03:21 PM
  • Eby deplores 'most hateful' speech praising Hamas attack, as UBC protest camp begins

Charlotte Kates of the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network told the rally outside the Vancouver Art Gallery on Friday that the attack was "heroic and brave." 

Eby said the comments about the attack, that killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were "the most hateful" he could imagine.

"Celebrating the murder, the rape of innocent people attending a music festival, it's awful," Eby said at an unrelated news conference on Monday. 

"It's reprehensible, and it shouldn't take place in British Columbia. There is clearly an element of some individuals using an international tragedy to promote hate that's completely unacceptable."

Kates and Samidoun did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Eby also remarked on an encampment by pro-Palestinian protesters that began at the University of B.C. on Monday. 

Similar camps have appeared on campuses across the United States, as well as at McGill University in Montreal and the University of Ottawa.

At McGill, activists have set up dozens of tents. The university said Monday morning it had seen video evidence of some protesters using "unequivocally antisemitic language and intimidating behaviour" during the protest.

The UBC camp included about 20 tents on MacInnes Field by noon Monday.

Eby said a university campus, while a protected space for free speech, should foster a safe space for students of all backgrounds, especially for Jewish students during a time they feel "particularly alone on campuses and need additional support to feel safe."

"I have no reason to doubt that the leadership, both student and administration, at UBC will find that balance between ensuring students are safe and making sure that atmosphere of free exchange of ideas can continue to take place on campus."

In a series of messages posted on social media platform X, UBC protest organizers have asked supporters to bring tents and sandbags, as well as food, water, first aid and generators.

Naisha Khan, a spokeswoman for the protest camp, said tents started going up at 5 a.m. Monday, with attendees from UBC, Simon Fraser University and Emily Carr University of Art and Design.

Khan said they wouldn't leave until UBC supported the Palestinian right to "resistance," and the right of return to what is now Israel.

In a written response, UBC spokesman Matthew Ramsey said the school is monitoring the situation and keeping in contact with the RCMP.

Protests must "be taken with respect for others and within the boundaries of university policy and the law," he said.

"We also remind everyone that hate and intolerance have no place at UBC," Ramsey said. "The university must be a place of reasoned debate where conflicting views can peacefully coexist."

Before Eby, the Vancouver Art Gallery rally had drawn condemnation from Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, who called it a "celebration of terrorism and antisemitism."

Sim said in a post on X on Sunday that people who "spew this vile hatred" were not welcome in the city.

Liberal member for Vancouver Granville Taleeb Noormohamed said on X that "glorifying Oct. 7 is unacceptable" and "does nothing to promote peace," while B.C. Opposition Leader Kevin Falcon called the speech a "celebration of the heinous murder of Jews."

MORE National ARTICLES

Liberal government looking for input on new law to improve safety in long-term care

Liberal government looking for input on new law to improve safety in long-term care
The Liberals promised during their 2021 election campaign to table a Safe Long-Term Care Act, after widespread COVID-19 outbreaks drew attention to the struggle many homes faced to provide basic care to residents.

Liberal government looking for input on new law to improve safety in long-term care

4 stolen vehicles recovered in Kelowna

4 stolen vehicles recovered in Kelowna
Police say they have recovered four stolen vehicles and arrested one male suspect after an operation in Kelowna. R-C-M-P say officers from its target team along with canine units executed a search warrant at a property in the 28-hundred block of Appaloosa Road on July 14th.  

4 stolen vehicles recovered in Kelowna

Parched conditions push B.C.'s wildfire battle south, as rain brings relief in north

Parched conditions push B.C.'s wildfire battle south, as rain brings relief in north
The BC Wildfire Service website reported 380 active wildfires Thursday with 22 listed as fires of note and 232 out of control. There have been 1,246 wildfires so far this year, burning a record 14,500 square kilometres.

Parched conditions push B.C.'s wildfire battle south, as rain brings relief in north

To Teach or Not to Teach: The Question of Drug Overdose Education in BC Schools

To Teach or Not to Teach: The Question of Drug Overdose Education in BC Schools
While advocates argue that providing comprehensive education about drug overdoses can empower students with life-saving knowledge and help them make informed decisions, opponents express concerns that discussing drug overdose education in schools may inadvertently normalize or encourage drug use among students.

To Teach or Not to Teach: The Question of Drug Overdose Education in BC Schools

7 charged in drug trafficking

7 charged in drug trafficking
Mounties with the drug and organized crime unit in Coquitlam say they launched the project in the fall of 2020 aimed at people operating within Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam, Richmond and Vancouver. The suspects range in age from 26 to 56 years old and are facing a series of drug and gun related charges.

7 charged in drug trafficking

Serious crimes unit takes over case of two missing B.C. children named in Amber Alert

Serious crimes unit takes over case of two missing B.C. children named in Amber Alert
RCMP say Verity Bolton was spotted by closed-circuit TV emerging from a grocery store with a loaded cart in Kamloops two days before she was expected to give her children, who are from Surrey, back to their father after a vacation. Surrey RCMP say in a news release that its serious crimes unit has taken over conduct of the investigation. 

Serious crimes unit takes over case of two missing B.C. children named in Amber Alert