I am not a fan of Ann Coulter. I am absolutely indifferent to her speaking in Ottawa. But I find this new police policy of:
Use the power of the state, not to enforce the laws of the land and guarantee the rights of the individual as set out in our constitutions, but to reduce any possibility of violence by submission to demands of the most violent group, especially if that group is leftist, or Muslim…
…to be absolutely disgusting. Canada now has a genuine crisis of freedom of speech. For those who do not like Coulter, they should feel free to either debate her or ignore her. As for her suggestion that a Muslim girl, drunk on her own moral superiority, should take a camel, I would like the world to know, that if a Saudi told me to take a Moose I would not feel “stabbed in my heart” and even if Canadians where blowing up aircraft at every opportunity and attempting to destroy western civilization through terror mostly aimed at public transportation.
Even so, the real villain here is the University of Ottawa for fostering an atmosphere conducive to thuggery in favour of leftism and Islamist causes, not to mention a probable organizational element by the MSU if the Kifeyes in the photos are any indicator.
According to a friend who was there, opponents of Coulter pulled the fire alarm, blocked entrances, blocked the lobby, and finally the police told organizers that it was not safe for Ann to be there.
Much of this was taken from the IFPS.ORG site. Thanks to them and all the other tipsters who send info to me.
More on the “timid police response” here:
From Blazing Cat Fur:
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
University of Ottawa Disgraces Itself in Eyes of the World – Ann Coulter Cancelled by Vandals
Ottawa Sun – Security concerns cancel Ann Coulter’s University of Ottawa talk – vandalism by our coddled barbarians
What a disgrace to Canada but what can you expect from a University that promotes Israeli Apartheid Week.
…
“anti-racist” creeps rushed door threw table volunteers had to flee“.
Funny how it’s always the “anti-racists” who are the Nazis, odd they never turned up to protest the University of Ottawa’s Whack-A-Jew-Week festivities.
…
Event organizers to sue University of Ottawa – …rumoured the people who organized Israeli Apartheid Week are the Nazi vandals
Organizers pulled the plug on a speaking engagement by U.S. Conservative commentator Ann Coulter at the University of Ottawa Tuesday evening, citing security concerns.
Police advised organizers to cancel after students of all political stripes descended upon the university to hear the talk — some of them lining up for more than two hours in the rain.
Others showed up to protest Coulter’s presence. The self-described polemicist is known for her inflammatory comments. She recently said Muslims shouldn’t be allowed to travel in airplanes and should use flying carpets instead.
The crowd could be heard chanting ‘We want Ann’ after it was announced the event was cancelled at 8:15 — a half-hour after the talk was due to begin.
Organizers painted the cancellation as University of Ottawa provost Francois Houle getting his wish.
Houle had earlier sent Coulter a letter suggesting she brush up on the limits of free speech in Canada, adding that promoting hatred could lead to criminal charges. Coulter reacted angrily to the letter, saying Houle had threatened her with criminal charges.
Would-be attendees who hadn’t registered for the event were turned away at the door. More than 2,000 people tried to get into the event — several times the capacity of the venue.
The Republican firebrand was at the university for the second stop of her Canadian speaking tour to dish on political correctness, media bias and freedom of speech.
The university’s student federation vehemently opposed Coulter’s appearance, banning posters advertising the talk from the University Centre building, while the school’s provost warned her of Canada’s tradition of “restraint, respect and consideration,” sparking an angry backlash from Coulter herself.
The event followed her Monday visit to London, Ont. where little of her speech touched on Canadian issues. Instead, she verbally attacked gay rights activists, the mainstream media and the Barack Obama administration.
From The Ottawa Citizen:
OTTAWA — Concerns for “public safety” forced the cancellation of American conservative commentator Ann Coulter’s speaking engagement at the University of Ottawa Tuesday night.
Several hundred people, including students from both Carleton and the University of Ottawa, showed up prior to Coulter’s speech. The loudest and most vociferous were protesting her presence, drowning out a smaller group of pro-Coulter demonstrators.
Ottawa police had more than nine squad cars at the scene, at the university’s Marion Hall. But the event was cancelled about 8:15 p.m. — before Coulter had a chance to speak.
“It’s a public safety issue,” said Sgt. Dan Beauchamp.
Coulter stirred controversy even before she arrived in Ottawa. The university’s student federation objected to her even appearing on campus, going so far as to ban posters advertising her speaking engagement. The University of Ottawa provost, François Houle, wrote a letter to the American author warning her against violating Canada’s hate-speech laws.
Coulter replied, suggesting Houle was showing “hatred” toward conservatives.
The exchange no doubt contributed to the large turn out for the event. By some estimates, there were more than 200 people outside Marion Hall.
“No more racists on our campus,’’ shouted the anti-Coulter crowd.
“No more commies on our campus,” shouted the pro-Coulter group.
In the end, of course, nobody got to hear what the woman had to say.
