Strange days indeed: Jason Kenney & Norman Finkelstein -Victims Of Security Shakedown On Campus

Update: Official Statement from Jason Kenney’s office on the cancellation of his talk at York University during “Democracy Week”

“I won’t speculate on York’s motivation in quoting us a thousand-dollar security tab, let alone whether they apply that practice consistently to pro-Israeli Apartheid Week events on campus. What I do know is this: York University is ground zero for Israeli Apartheid Week activities; so much so, in fact, that at York they keep it going for two weeks.

Minister Kenney, as the cabinet minister responsible for anti-racism programs in the federal government, wanted to deliver a speech at York about anti-Semitism during Israeli Apartheid Week. He wanted to stand in solidarity with the silent majority on York’s campus who are disturbed by the climate of hatred, fear and bigotry Israeli Apartheid Week’s activities promote. The Minister’s office has never been quoted such a high security cost to deliver a speech before. York did this even though we assured them the RCMP was responsible for the safety and security of cabinet ministers, and would be on hand if the situation required.

We couldn’t in good conscience impose a thousand-dollar security bill on a few already-under-siege student groups. This, truly, is a very unfortunate situation, and a powerful reminder that Israeli Apartheid Week, rather than encouraging debate and free speech, actually suppresses them – at least, that is, if you happen not to believe that Israel is a Bantustan-promoting apartheid state.

Alykhan Velshi
Director of Communications and Parliamentary Affairs
Office of the Hon. Jason Kenney, PC, MP
…….
Original post follows.

Jason Kenney abruptly cancelled a scheduled appearance at York University last week, during the Israeli Apartheid Week festivities. No public reason was given, until now.

Please click over to Blazing Cat fur to read the rest of this article. Once again it appears that we have gone jogging past Orwell and are passing Kafka without sweating.

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

One Reply to “Strange days indeed: Jason Kenney & Norman Finkelstein -Victims Of Security Shakedown On Campus”

  1. So the university was unwilling to spend $1,000 for security for the speakers.

    That shows me cowardice on the part of the university officials and an unwillingness to uphold the very principles that it pretends to value. Putting a monetary cost on keeping speech free or exhibiting democratic action is reprehensible.

    The university should be ashamed that it made such a cowardly decision.

    As far as “Israeli Apartheid Week”, I saw first-hand today at a major Canadian university how students have been gulled into displaying support for the bogus movement.

    If they only knew what readers of this blog know: Palestine has been kept on edge and made into a psychopathic nation by its Muslim neighbors who refuse to allow them to settle in their lands. Israel is merely trying to keep the suicide bombers and rocket attacks down to a minimum.

    Its not Israeli suicide bombers we are talking about, either…