Media Availability: 9am, March 7, 2024. Victoria Legislature
VICTORIA, BC - On behalf of all British Columbians, Conservative Party leader John Rustad is calling for Premier David Eby to step down. The call comes after the revelation of rampant antisemitism within the NDP party exposed in a letter by MLA Selina Robinson to her former NDP colleagues.
Among other MLAs, Selina Robinson’s letter singled out Niki Sharma, the Attorney General, for failing to reach out to the Jewish community or understand their fear amid rising antisemitism in society.
In Victoria, anti-Israel demonstrators have, since the October 7th massacres, marched through streets illegally obstructing roads, praising Hamas, and shouting chants for “intifada”. No arrests have been made. An anti-Israel demonstration in Vancouver last weekend blocked the Granville Street Bridge.
Conservatives have now learned that Victoria’s Police Chief has, in a private meeting, pinned his department’s reluctance to make arrests on the unwillingness of Crown prosecutors, who report to the Attorney General, to proceed with charges.
Last month, Tim Thielmann, the Conservative MLA Candidate for Victoria-Beacon Hill, who is also a lawyer, drafted a 26-page legal brief on the demonstrations. Advanced copies have been given to Chief Manek and Attorney General Sharma.
The memo documents the ongoing violations of criminal laws by Victoria’s Antisemitic extremists and the legal basis on which other blockades and hate speech have been successfully prosecuted. This includes a May 2023 decision of the BC Provincial Court which upheld the constitutionality of RCMP arrests of old-growth protesters who had temporarily blocked traffic in Nanaimo.
The lack of action by Attorney General Sharma illustrates an unfair, politically motivated “double standard” being applied by this NDP government on incidents of anti-Jewish hate speech and Antisemitism. Attorney General Sharma has been missing-in-action on issues of Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish hate.
In recent months, Conservatives have repeatedly called on Premier Eby and Attorney General Sharma to act on extreme anti-Jewish hate speech by Victoria imam, Youmus Kathrada who has called publicly for the “annihilation of the plundering Jews”. Kathrada has praised Hamas martyrs and instructed children in his congregation to consider non-Muslims as the “enemies of Allah”.
There have been repeated denouncements of Kathrada by Jewish and Muslim leaders and the public since Kathrada began delivering hate-sermons in 2018, but neither Sharma nor Eby have approved prosecutions during their respective terms as Attorneys General. The Premier must resign.
-30-
Timeline
Dec 19, 2023 – Thielmann calls on X for arrest and charges for Kathrada.
Jan 11, 2024 – Thielmann letter to Victoria Police calling for investigation of Kathrada and anti-Israel demonstrations
Jan 11, 2024 - Thielmann / CPBC launch petition to investigate Kathrada and anti-Israel demonstrations
Feb 3, 2024 – Robinson apologizes for crappy lands comment
Feb 5, Robinson removed from Cabinet
Feb 6, 2024 – “antifa” extremists vandalize Robinson’s office with posters calling her a “Nazi"
Feb 20, 2024, Thielmann calls on X for Sharma to prosecute Kathrada
Feb 29 – Legal brief given to Vic Police
Mar 4, 2024 – Legal brief given to Sharma
Mar 5, 2024 – Granville Street Bridge blockade
At no point has the Premier taken responsibility for the spread of antisemitism within his own party or the province.
Do you like this page?
