A Sad Day For Montreal
A speech by Israel's former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at
Concordia University, Montreal was cancelled on Monday (September 9,
2002) when protests turned violent. Here is a description of the
situation from B'Nai Brith Canada:
Concordia cancels Netanyahu speech amid violence
bnaibrith.ca
I received today an email from Sara Ahronheim who was there and directly
experienced the hatred of the protesting mob. Her chilling account,
copied below, is more than a description of the event -- it illuminates
the cost to freedom when the barbarians gain the upper hand.
FYI,
Chuck Chriss
President, JIA
=========================================================
Subject: A sad day for montreal
Date: Mon, 09 Sep 2002
Dear Friends and Family,
In April 2001 I sent out a letter detailing my experiences
working as a street medic at the protests in Quebec City. Today I am
sending a similar letter to you, however it is in regard to a radically
different situation.
This morning my friends and I set out to Concordia University, in
the heart of downtown Montreal, to hear Benjamin Netanyahu (former
Prime Minister of Israel) speak. Many articles were featured in the
Montreal papers leading up to today's speech, warning of protest action.
I had a
good idea of what we would face as we approached Concordia, but I could
never have predicted what actually happened once we were there.
To enter the building we had to make a giant circle around it, to
get to the supposedly "safe" entrance. We had to walk right through a
volatile protest of hundreds of Palestinians and their supporters in
keffiyehs, with flags, screaming vitriolic hate. Once having run this
gauntlet, we waited patiently outside the Bishop street entrance, held
back at the gate by security and police. After about an hour they started
admitting us
inside, but it was too late because a huge group of Palestinian
'demonstrators' had appeared in our midst. I was fortunately right at the
entrance, and as dozens of violent protesters pushed their way to the
front, I tried to get through. Right next to me appeared the ringleader,
who tried to push his way in. The cop in front of me punched him in the
face while pulling me through
the gate at the same time. I rested against the wall and watched
as at least a hundred (I think) red-and-green coloured protesters
attacked the barriers and tried to get in. Riot cops appeared, dozens of
them, and went to the gate as I and a few others were herded into the
building.
There was yelling and chanting, drumming and fighting going on outside
the doors, with hundreds of our people stuck behind the gate being abused
by hundreds of violent demonstrators. A few of us were waiting after the
metal detectors for our friends to come through, when all of a sudden we
heard loud chanting and yelling INSIDE the building. The riot cops came
storming in and up the
stairs beside us, and we began hearing fighting, crashing, yelling,
punching. Chaos broke out and riot cops made us run for the door to the
auditorium - I thought we were going to get killed, I swear. It was the
scariest feeling, because I knew that these people wanted to hurt me and
anyone who supports Israel or is Jewish.
Once inside the auditorium, we were told to be patient as more
people would drift in from the insanity outside. We waited inside for
three hours, as the commotion outside grew increasingly loud. We could
hear chanting and yelling, and the protesters began trashing the
university building.
The police tear gassed and pepper sprayed the entire building and
outside, and we began to feel the effects if we stood too near the doors.
After hours of waiting, and bomb searches by RCMP sniffer dogs, we were
informed that Bibi Netanyahu could not speak after all - too much danger
to him and to us.
This was an incredible disappointment and we were naturally upset. We
however managed to maintain a kind of composure and instead of fighting,
the 650 of us inside began to sing Hatikvah, the
national anthem of the State of Israel. We sang peace chants and
then just waited to be let out, in groups of 10, escorted by police.
The scene as we exited was disgusting. Benches were overturned,
papers and garbage streaked across the hallways, and broken windows. We
were shoved outside directly into a HUGE Palestinian riot, where some of
our people were apparently attacked. The cops did nothing. We stood on
one side of the barrier, while they stood on the other, and we faced off.
On our side, we sang and danced and celebrated being free and Jewish. On
their side, they threw bottles at people's heads, screamed hatred, and
tried to break
the barriers down to hurt us. They started tossing pennies and coins at
us - one of the oldest ways to taunt Jews by saying we're all
'money-grubbing'.
While we sang Hatikvah arm in arm, they spat at us. Finally we decided
to disperse and leave them to their hatred.
Today was a sick and sorrowful day not only for the Jewish
students and community of Montreal, but for Jews everywhere, the city of
Montreal and Canada. Today a man was gagged and not allowed to express an
opinion; today hundreds of people were denied the opportunity to listen
to him speak. Today a riot broke forth on our peaceful streets, and today
no police managed
to restrain hate. Today Montreal Jews were made to feel afraid for our
lives, and today Jewish students were threatened in our own home. If we
cannot express ourselves here in Canada, champion of free speech and
human rights, where on earth can we do so? If we cannot feel safe in our
own cities where we have grown up and thrived, where are we to go?
I can answer my own question with what many of us already know -
Israel is our place. She is our homeland, and opens her arms to us,
willing to protect us at all costs. The Jewish people need Israel, and
she needs us.
Even so, we must voice our distaste at the violence which
occurred in Montreal today. We must all take our own individual stands
against this fascism, by which freedom of speech was denied. What
happened today in my city cannot be condoned or allowed to repeat itself.
We must act.
So I am sending you all this long letter, with my own personal
feelings and an eyewitness account. Please do what you can to see that
this message is spread to anyone you can think of - from friends to work
associates, to politicians, and from Jews to non-Jews alike. We have a
chance to fix these wrongs, but only if we take action and don't sit back
as passive observers.
We say NEVER AGAIN, but unless we protest these attacks on our
freedoms, it is fruitless to put up that chant.
Last but certainly not least, a personal lament on our situation:
today I saw raw hatred, and it cut me to the core. I have never feared
for my life as I did today. I have never feared for our free society the
way I do today.
I wish beyond anything that we can one day fix the agonizing rifts
between our peoples, and erase the hate from our and their hearts alike.
Shanah Tovah to all Jewish readers of this letter, and a sweet
year.
To all non-Jewish readers: thank you for reading, and please
understand what I am expressing here. It is most important for you to
know what really happened here today, and it is vital that you see this
side of the story.
Love always,
Sara Ahronheim |
