Scenes from the Anti-Mubarak Rally, Toronto, January 29, 2011 - Part 3

 James Clark, Toronto Coalition to Stop the War

Ali Mallah, VP, Canadian Arab Federation
Sid Lacombe, Canadian Peace Alliance

 El-Farouk Khaki, Queers Against Israeli Apartheid

Jenny/Ben Peto, Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid

Update:  Welcome, readers of Five Feet of Fury!

Islamophobia or Zionphobia at the Pride Parade: either way, it's ugly

Look how this QuAIA person (I believe this is Kathy Wazana) treated this woman in a burka. All because the woman in the burka was carrying a truthful sign about Islamic intolerance. The QuAIA person (Kathy Wazana) was using an expensive camera; she didn't need to get that close. It looks like there's another guy filming up close in the bottom photo.

Once again, breaking their own code of conduct for the Pride Parade. Those guidelines must have just been for show because they didn't seem to follow any of the rules. Except someone obviously ran to get the cops when Meir Weinstein dared to look at them.

It's all about "free speech" and "safe spaces" for the Queers Against Israel until a Zionist shows up.

(Photo credit: a friend. With thanks.)

Update: Welcome, readers of Five Feet of Fury, Blazing Cat Fur and Moose and Squirrel!

My video of QuAIA at the Pride Parade - for the record

(Watch it on YouTube - this Blogger format cuts off part of the image.)

There's a bit of confusion over who was marching where. So you can watch my video and see for yourself. As far as I can tell, the "F*ck the Police" people were mixed right in with the Queers Against Israeli Apartheid people.

QuAIA break their own guidelines at yesterday's Pride Parade

After Chelsey Lichtman and a few of her friends with cameras crossed from the opposite side of the QuAIA contingent to approach me and talk with me (I remained silent),


this guy left the marchers and stood directly in front of me with his large sign in an effort to stop me from videotaping. (I silently stepped around him.)

They were in contravention of their own guidelines for marching in the Pride Parade:


One of their chants was, "We're queer, we're pissed, we're anti-Zionist." Yeah, no kidding. You coulda knocked me over with a feather boa.

I also heard, "Viva viva Palestina, viva viva intifada."

Intifada? What does that mean?

"The intifada was violent from the start. During the first four years of the uprising, more than 3,600 Molotov cocktail attacks, 100 hand grenade attacks and 600 assaults with guns or explosives were reported by the Israel Defense Forces. The violence was directed at soldiers and civilians alike. During this period, 16 Israeli civilians and 11 soldiers were killed by Palestinians in the territories; more than 1,400 Israeli civilians and 1,700 Israeli soldiers were injured. Approximately 1,100 Palestinians were killed in clashes with Israeli troops.

"Throughout the intifada, the PLO played a lead role in orchestrating the insurrection."

That's weird. I thought we were celebrating Gay Pride yesterday.

Update: Welcome, readers of Halls of Macadamia!

QuAIA signs at yesterday's Pride Parade - 2

"F*ck the police and capitalism."

"Queers probe the police."

"F*ck the police."

"Queers hate cops."

Note: These are screen caps from my video.

QuAIA signs at yesterday's Pride Parade - 1

CUPE flag

"Corporate greed needs us."

Xtra continues to maintain its journalistic objectivity.

"Elect Chris Moise public school trustee."

Note: These are screen caps from my video.

2010 Toronto Pride Parade Photos - 1

What kind of Pride is this?

(Screen caps taken from my video of the Queers Against Israeli Apartheid group at last year's Pride Parade.)

What's next: an updated formulation of The Village People featuring the new gay icon of a Muslim terrorist in place of the hard-hat wearing guy first personified by Dave Hodo? Somehow I don't think so.

"Queers Against Israeli Apartheid violated policy, city says"

"City bureaucrats may withdraw funding from Pride Toronto next year if the activist group Queers Against Israeli Apartheid is allowed to march in this summer's parade.

"The city, which gave Pride $121,000 in 2009, believes its anti-discrimination policy was likely violated by QuAIA's conduct and even its very presence at last summer's parade, said general manager of economic development and culture Mike Williams...

"Ceta Ramkhalawansingh, city manager of diversity management and community engagement, said she looked to Ontario Human Rights Commission guidelines for direction regarding the parade.

"The guidelines, she said, mention racism that creates a 'poisoned environment.' She said QuAIA had created an environment at Pride 'where not everybody feels welcome.' Thus, she said, the city's message to Pride was: "You've got a problem. Deal with it.'"

More here.

The environment has been poisoned at Pride. I was harassed, intimidated and made to feel extremely unwelcome by the QuAIA group because I was "identified as a Zionist".

Queers Against Israeli Apartheid - 6

I was alone when members of "Queers Against Israeli Apartheid" swarmed me and used threatening tactics to get me to stop videotaping at the Gay Pride Parade in downtown Toronto on June 28, 2009.

When I moved farther away from their group, several of them went to great lengths (climbing a brick wall topped with an iron grating) to approach me in a manner designed to frighten and intimidate me.

They told me I was not welcome at the Pride Parade and said I had been "exposed" as a Zionist, as if that was a crime.

I was by myself and they were the ones who harassed me. They were the ones who made me feel unsafe in my own city.

My video is here. The only thing I cut out of it was approximately 5 seconds of full frontal nudity.

No one can have a reasonable expectation of privacy while marching in a parade that is known to draw a crowd of 1 million people. In addition, more than half a million people watched the parade live on TV.

No one can have a reasonable expectation of privacy when they are seen clearly on videotape having no problem being taped by Rabble.ca, friends and strangers.

No one can have a reasonable expectation of privacy when their full names are given on press releases issued by their organizations.

No one can have a reasonable expectation of privacy when they have posted their own photos and resume on the internet for anyone to see.

Queers Against Israeli Apartheid - 5

Go here to watch the video on YouTube in which members of "Queers Against Israeli Apartheid" march openly in front of an audience of 1 million people, at least 50% of whom had cameras, plus 600,000 television viewers, and call for the violent overthrow and destruction of a democratic country which just so happens to be one of Canada's allies.

They chanted: "Fist by fist, blow by blow, apartheid state has got to go."

At Toronto's Pride Parade 2009.

Update: According to a comment, the chant is: "Brick by brick, wall by wall..."

Harassment & Intimidation at Toronto's Pride Parade

Harassment & Intimidation at Toronto's Pride Parade 2009 from josephinejosephine on Vimeo.

As I was videotaping groups in the parade line-up, no one complained until I reached a keffiyah-wearing, Palestinian-flag-waving group. I recognized a few members of "Queers Against Israeli Apartheid" as well as NION and was shocked to see a man with his head & face wrapped in a keffiyeh like a terrorist and wearing a bracelet made of bullets.

They saw me videotaping and quickly moved, in a well-rehearsed manner, to physically prevent me from seeing and taping. After I moved at least 15 feet away, they crossed the wide sidewalk, climbed a brick wall mounted by a low iron fence and stood directly in front of my camera... then told me not to photograph them!

They denounced me as a Zionist and told me I was not welcome in the Pride Parade which was being held in my own city of Toronto, in my own country of Canada, where my ancestors have lived since 1750.

The sponsors of Pride should think twice about having their names associated with an event that includes such groups.

Thanks to the organizers of the Pride Parade for allowing a group that uses Hamas-style tactics to poison the formerly open and free atmosphere of Pride.
Update: Welcome, fellow readers and fans of Five Feet of Fury and Halls of Macadamia!
Update #2: And a hearty welcome to fellow readers and fans of Girl on the Right!
Update #3: Hello & welcome to readers of another one of my favourite blogs, Blazing Cat Fur! As usual, the title of his post is much funnier than mine!
Update #4: From the comments: "It's impossible to believe that the traditional Gay Pride chant has become 'We're here, we're queer ... hey, what the f*** are you lookin' at, asshole? Put the camera away!'"