Wednesday, June 3, 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

Tuesday set an unofficial record for the hottest day on Earth. Wednesday may break it.

Tuesday set an unofficial record for the hottest day on Earth. Wednesday may break it.
The planet's temperature spiked on Tuesday to its hottest day in at least 44 years and likely much longer, and Wednesday could become the third straight day Earth unofficially marks a record-breaking high, the latest in a series of climate-change extremes that alarm but don't surprise scientists

Tuesday set an unofficial record for the hottest day on Earth. Wednesday may break it.

Canadian government drops ads on Facebook, Instagram as Meta promises to block news

Canadian government drops ads on Facebook, Instagram as Meta promises to block news
The decision came after Meta promised to block Canadian news content on its Facebook and Instagram platforms in response to Canada's recently passed Online News Act. The new law will require tech giants pay media outlets for content they share or otherwise repurpose on their platforms.

Canadian government drops ads on Facebook, Instagram as Meta promises to block news

More campfire bans coming to B.C. by Friday as dry conditions raise wildfire danger

More campfire bans coming to B.C. by Friday as dry conditions raise wildfire danger
The BC Wildfire Service says, as of noon on Friday, campfires will no longer be permitted in the Kamloops Fire Centre. The restriction will also extend to include all areas of the Coastal Fire Centre, except Haida Gwaii.

More campfire bans coming to B.C. by Friday as dry conditions raise wildfire danger

Two dead as motorcycle and SUV collide between Lytton and Spences Bridge, B.C.

Two dead as motorcycle and SUV collide between Lytton and Spences Bridge, B.C.
Two people have died in a collision between a motorcycle and an SUV northeast of Lytton, British Columbia. A statement from RCMP says the crash happened just after 6 p.m. Monday on Highway 1 between Lytton and Spences Bridge. Staff Sgt. Kris Clark says both victims were on the motorcycle.

Two dead as motorcycle and SUV collide between Lytton and Spences Bridge, B.C.

Crackdown on street racing in Surrey

Crackdown on street racing in Surrey
Surrey R-C-M-P say video shared widely online back in May showed a vintage Chevy stunt driving before crashing into a semi-truck during a large gathering. Police say they’ve now recommended charges against the driver, and returned to the street in mid-June to crack down on street racing along the stretch. 

Crackdown on street racing in Surrey

Mountain biker dies after crash during B.C. Cup race at Big White resort

Mountain biker dies after crash during B.C. Cup race at Big White resort
The senior vice-president of Big White Ski Resort in Kelowna, B.C., says a mountain biker has died after a crash during the B.C. Cup downhill racing event the resort hosted on the weekend. He says resort staff and management are "devastated" by the incident.

Mountain biker dies after crash during B.C. Cup race at Big White resort