Thursday, June 11, 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

Why Canadian time changes hinge on U.S. law

Why Canadian time changes hinge on U.S. law
Daylight time, which sees people enjoy an extra hour of daylight at the end of the day starting March 12, ends on Sunday. The standard function of DST is to set clocks forward by one hour in the spring and thus the phrase spring forward, and to set clocks back by one hour in the Fall thus the phrase fall back to return to original clock time.     

Why Canadian time changes hinge on U.S. law

High court upholds B.C. man's voyeurism conviction

High court upholds B.C. man's voyeurism conviction
Randy Downes had coached minor hockey and children's baseball in Burnaby and Coquitlam for 30 years when he was charged in 2016 after border agents found images on his phone as he returned to Canada from Washington state.

High court upholds B.C. man's voyeurism conviction

Freeland to table 2023 federal budget March 28

Freeland to table 2023 federal budget March 28
The Canadian economy is expected to slow significantly this year and potentially enter a recession as high interest rates squeeze the budgets for individuals and businesses alike. Freeland has stressed that the Liberal government is focused on fiscal restraint, so as to not work against the Bank of Canada's efforts to tame inflation.

Freeland to table 2023 federal budget March 28

Breach of trust case dropped against ex-Liberal MP

Breach of trust case dropped against ex-Liberal MP
Grewal left the federal Liberal caucus in 2018 after his gambling problem came to light and a public outcry ensued. He chose not to run for re-election in 2019. In 2020, the RCMP charged him with four counts of breach of trust and one count of fraud over $5,000.

Breach of trust case dropped against ex-Liberal MP

Turpel-Lafond 'satisfied' with identity, past work

Turpel-Lafond 'satisfied' with identity, past work
In her most expansive recent remarks since a CBC investigation last fall raised questions about her claim of Cree heritage, Turpel-Lafond said it's "liberating" to be freed of honours because it permits her to "focus on what really matters" in her life.

Turpel-Lafond 'satisfied' with identity, past work

Experts warn of 'recovery scam' after sextortion

Experts warn of 'recovery scam' after sextortion
Darren Laur, chief training officer at White Hatter, an internet safety and digital literacy education company based in Victoria said the teen's family reached out to him with their story after the other firm told them there was nothing that could be done.

Experts warn of 'recovery scam' after sextortion