Category: CPA Statements

Open letters and statements to the public from the Canada Palestine Association.

Outraged by Excessive VPD Raid against pro-Palestine Advocate

To Mayor Ken Sim and VPD Chief Adam Palmer:

We are appalled and outraged by the excessive police action yesterday in Vancouver against local activist Charlotte Kates. We demand answers from the VPD and Ken Sim regarding this ridiculous ramping up of intimidation of pro-Palestine advocates. Why did you need the Emergency Response Team, decked out in full tactical gear with an armoured vehicle, to execute one search warrant in a quiet residential house currently inhabited by one woman? Are you trying to convince others that those who support Palestine are dangerous and thus require this over-the-top repression? According to news sources, even her neighbours were horrified (and frightened) at the level of force employed. 

All you have proven is that Vancouver police are quickly descending into the most despicable kind of tactics, and showing their own ineptitude and lack of respect for the most basic rights of people.    

The local Palestinian community will remember this latest action (and others before) that have exposed the anti-Palestinian racism inherent in your administration. 

Hanna Kawas, Chair
Canada Palestine Association – Vancouver 
________________________________________

Coverage on AlMayadeen English: Pro-Palestine org enraged by Canadian police raid against activist | Al Mayadeen English

INTERNATIONAL LAWYERS CONDEMN POLICE RAID ON HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST CHARLOTTE KATES’ HOME

CPA Condemns the Banning of Samidoun

The Canada Palestine Association condemns the Canadian government’s banning of Samidoun, a pro-Palestinian advocacy group. This move was done in conjunction with the US government and followed years of aggressive Zionist lobbying. It also represented “cheap politics” on the part of the current Liberal government, pandering to a right wing agenda and trying to score political points by literally squashing civil and democratic rights. 

For over a year, the Canadian government has not taken any serious actions against the Israeli TERRORISM, war crimes and genocide being carried out against the Palestinian and Lebanese people. But instead of criminalizing those forces who are actually burning people alive in Gaza, this government chose to put yet another Palestinian group on its “terrorist list”. And this time, they are setting a dangerous precedent by banning an independent Palestinian political advocacy group with no organizational affiliations to any Palestinian resistance groups. 

In 2002, the Liberal government of the day listed several Islamic Liberation Organizations on Canada’s so-called “Terrorist list” and then in 2003, they also added most Palestinian resistance groups to the same list.  

The Israeli government and its array of lobby groups have clearly been behind these listings; their main objective is to supress any solidarity work for Palestinian liberation and supress criticism of the Zionist settler colonialist project (Israel). 

Repression against advocates for Palestine is steadily increasing across Canada, from arrests by local police forces to unfounded smears by provincial and federal politicians. But as CPA Chair Hanna Kawas said in a recent interview: “We’re going to keep the solidarity work (alive) and the support work for Palestinian liberation and for Palestinian resistance organizations, whether they like it or not.” 

We must continue to stand with the Palestinian people and not be intimidated with government edicts; lets show true internationalist solidarity with Palestinian advocacy and liberation and show that anti-Palestinian racism has no place in Canada or anywhere else.


Other resources: https://iclmg.ca/iclmg-calls-for-end-to-terror-list/
Tell the Canadian Government to Stop Criminalizing Palestinian Advocacy – Action Network

Scotiabank must divest completely from Elbit Systems!

  • Any funding of genocide is too much. We will not rest until Scotiabank divests completely from Israeli war crimes.

On June 3, 2023 Vancouver activists held a march and flash action at Scotiabank headquarters, to help launch a national campaign to demand that Scotiabank divest from the Israeli arms maker Elbit Systems.  

Since then, Scotiabank’s asset fund has reduced its half a billion dollar investment in Elbit 3 times, but still owns 1.44% of Elbit shares (worth approx. $113 million). Many groups and individuals have been part of the campaign to say #ShameonScotiabank for funding Israeli genocide; it is this collective pressure that produced results. A special shoutout to allies in the artists and writers community who embraced this issue, and helped increase the visibility of the campaign in new and creative ways. 

However, although Scotiabank is no longer the largest foreign investor in Elbit, it is still one of the “top ten”. Any funding of genocide is too much. We will not rest until Scotiabank divests completely from Israeli war crimes. 

New article on AlMayadeen English: Divesting from Genocide! | Al Mayadeen English

From France: En Amérique du Nord, des campagnes contre les complices du génocide à Gaza engrangent des victoires | Palestine Vaincra

Support the students at Vancouver Island University!

We stand in solidarity with the steadfast students of Vancouver Island University VIU. As they mark over 100 days of their encampment, VIU has filed a shameful lawsuit against their students instead of engaging in discourse to address their complicity in the ongoing genocide in Gaza. More info on instagram from Palestine Solidarity Encampment PSE: VIU Palestine Solidarity Encampment (@pse_viu) • Instagram photos and videos

And support the students by donating to their legal defense fund Legal Support for VIU Students at the PSE (gofundme.com) or by joining supporters at the court on August 14th from 9AM to 4PM at 800 Smithe Street, Vancouver.

Here are some of the updates – Day 1 in Court:

Day 2 in Court, students were also supported by BCCLA.

#StopTheJNF…We will not Stop, We will not Rest!

News broke earlier this week about Canada Revenue Agency’s intention to revoke the JNF’s charitable status. Although this was positive news, only brought on by enormous grassroots pressure, we must be cautious in considering this a victory. It is not yet a done deal and the JNF, in its own July 25 media statement, announced that they were appealing and “JNF Canada will continue its charitable activity including collecting and receipting donations and distributing funds while the legal challenge is before the Federal Court of Appeal…JNF Canada is continuing its work”. So for now, JNF Canada (and by extension Canadian taxpayers) are still funding genocide and ethnic cleansing.

Attached are photos and a video from multiple #StopTheJNF pickets in Vancouver, initiated by CPA over the last 20 years.