Killing Free Speech in Canada
Last month we reported on a new film made by a Danish-American videographer named Michael Hansen. After fifteen years away from home, Mr. Hansen returned to Europe and recorded a video chronicle of his experiences that highlighted the increasing violence and chaos caused by Islamization. From his video material he compiled a documentary called Killing Europe.
The documentary was to have been screened last week at the public library in Ottawa. The library staff and the police had watched the film and judged that it passed the library’s policies on sensitivity, inclusion, tolerance, etc blah yak. Mr. Hansen was heading for the venue to take part in the premiere when the library abruptly cancelled the screening.
Below is a text and video report on what happened.
Motion M-103 is already being implemented
By an ACT! For Canada member involved in planning the event
Today, November 25, ACT! For Canada was to have hosted the world premiere of the film Killing Europe at the main branch of the Ottawa Public Library. Without even seeing the film, the left decided that it must not be shown and set out to intimidate and bully the Library, apparently with the help of the Mayor, several Ottawa City Council members, and one particular lawyer.
The Library’s auditorium had been booked a month ago, and confirmation of the booking (which included a review by Library staff of the intended use) and acknowledgement of payment were received on October 27. On November 14 we were contacted by phone by the Library about security concerns due to activity on social media, and we agreed to pay for this. The Library called again on Wednesday, November 22nd, three days before the showing, to confirm security plans, for which they would bill us. Everything seemed set to go and we thanked them for not giving in to pressure.
But at 11:43 a.m. the day before the showing the Library sent an email saying that as a result of a number of complaints, the Library took a “further review of the presentation” and the event was cancelled. Although the Library had the phone numbers of the person who made the booking, they did not call. We only became aware of the email in the afternoon, and could not reach anyone at the Library. The person who made the booking went to the Library to confirm that the cancellation was not a hoax. One of the division managers informed her that the cancellation was real. Upon questioning, the division manager agreed that the Library should have phoned to notify us of the cancellation. But she insisted that the cancellation was not due to pressure, but because the film did not conform to the Library’s Terms and Conditions. This despite the fact that the Library had over a month to view the film and had confirmed security arrangements two days earlier.
The filmmaker was to have been present at the world premiere of his film and was on his way from his home in the US (no one would have been surprised had he been stopped at the border). That is what the left does when they decide that they will not ALLOW anyone they don’t approve of! They stop at nothing and our craven authorities give in to their bullying.
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Below is an interview with Alexandra Belaire, the head of ACT! For Canada / Ottawa, in which she describes what happened and expresses her opinions about it. Many thanks to Vlad Tepes for recording and uploading all these video interviews:
Trevor Loudon and Vlad Tepes discuss the cancellation of the film, and the nature of the Communist groups that forced the venue to cancel:
The press release from ACT! For Canada / Ottawa:
Ottawa, 24th of November, 2017
Cancellation of the Screening of the Documentary Film ‘Killing Europe’ at the Ottawa Public Library
The world premiere screening of the documentary film Killing Europe by the Danish-born film-maker Michael Hansen had been scheduled to take place on Saturday, the 25th of November, 2017, from 2 to 4 pm, in the Ottawa Public Library Main Auditorium, 120 Metcalfe St., Ottawa. On the 24th of November, 2017, the Ottawa Public Library informed Act! Ottawa that they were withdrawing from the agreement to rent us space to screen this documentary film, as it was deemed to be in breech of community standards.
ACT! For Canada is an organization that highlights human rights abuses, giving voice to victims of violence and oppression, regardless of the consequences. It is in this spirit that ACT! For Canada was screening this documentary film, Killing Europe. The subject of this documentary is difficult, painful and may be triggering to more vulnerable members of our society — and ACT! For Canada fully admits that.
It sheds light on the growth of several very problematic movements within Europe, including homophobia, anti-Semitism and rape culture. However difficult these issues are, it is essential that they be exposed for what they are, and that the victims have the opportunity to tell their stories, no matter how difficult and traumatic these are.
This is exactly what the documentary film Killing Europedoes: it brings forward the personal, first-person accounts of stories of victims of rape, anti-Semitism, and homophobia and the violence they had been subjected to. Yes, these stories are painful and troubling, but they are true, first-person accounts of victims of institutionalized violence — and they deserve a fair hearing.
By de-platforming the world premiere screening of Killing Europe, the City of Ottawa and the Ottawa Public Library are permitting the perpetuation of these abuses and are permitting themselves to be tools of institutionalized oppression.
We at ACT! For Canada are staunch defenders of the human rights of the most vulnerable members of our society, and we condemn in the strongest terms possible the re-victimization of women who have bravely spoke out about their experience of rape and the institutionalized misogyny that they had been subjected to, being further compounded by being denied the means to share their experience by the City of Ottawa and the Ottawa Public Library.
For ACT!
For Canada
ACT!
Ottawa
Alexandra Belaire |
