But Ottawa Police maintain there is nothing wrong with anti-Israel marchers wearing Hamas-inspired uniforms
Article content
OTTAWA — While anti-Israel marchers in Ottawa wearing Hamas-inspired costumes prompted concern from the city’s mayor’s office, Ottawa police maintain the activists did nothing wrong.
Advertisement 2
Article content
Article content
Article content
Footage of a March 29 anti-Israel protest in downtown Ottawa depicted marchers dressed in black, wearing black balaclavas and green headbands associated with members of Palestinian terror group Hamas — a proscribed terrorist entity under Canadian law.
Your Midday Sun
Article content
Advertisement 3
Article content
Video posted over the weekend by Ottawa-based citizen journalists Chris Dacey and C-Squared depicted one of the activists, goading and taunting those calling him out for his attire.
“Nice headband,” one videographer called out to the activist.
“Yeah, I like it too,” he replied.
Recommended from Editorial
Other videos from the protest showed other marchers in similar attire.
A statement to the Toronto Sun from the office of Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe expressed shock over the video.
“I am very concerned and disturbed to see symbols of terrorism on display on the streets of Ottawa,” he wrote. “Everyone respects the right to a peaceful protest, but the glorification of terrorism causes alarm for residents and has no place in our city.”
Advertisement 4
Article content
Advertisement 5
Article content
Sutcliffe promised to follow-up with Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs and Ottawa Police Services Board Chair Salim Fakirani.
However, a statement from Ottawa Police found little wrong with the activists’ attire.
“The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) received information that an individual was seen with clothing that could be associated to a terrorist entity at a demonstration on Saturday, March 29,” the statement read.
“Upon further investigation it was determined that there is no links to a terrorist/hate group. The OPS will continue to observe and monitor any and all behaviour during demonstrations.”
But security expert Casey Babb believes the response from Ottawa Police aligns with tactics used by terrorist sympathizers to get away with attending rallies wearing provocative and borderline-illegal clothing.
“These protestors — if that’s what we want to call them — write innocuous things in Arabic on signs, shirts, and green bandanas, and then feign outrage when they’re called out for hateful activities or inciting violence,” said Babb, a senior Macdonald-Laurier Institute fellow and advisor to Secure Canada.
Advertisement 6
Article content
“They get to intimidate Jews and innocent Canadians while claiming they’ve done nothing wrong.”
RECOMMENDED VIDEO
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.
Green headbands worn by Hamas terrorists typically have Hamas symbols and Arabic printed upon them in white.
Last April, a UK judge ruled that Khaled Hajsaad, 24, broke the law by wearing a similar Hamas-style green headband — despite telling police the Arabic written on his headband was a statement of his Saudi heritage.
“Hamas is the most notable Palestinian group associated with the colour green,” City of London Magistrates’ Court Judge Nina Tempia wrote in her judgement. “He was wearing the headband at the pro-Palestinian march, where there would be no reasons for someone to wear the headband of a Saudi flag.”
Meanwhile, Babb said it’s time for police to start enforcing the law.
“We’ve got to stop with the selective outrage and the selective application of our laws,” Babb said. “It’s going to get people killed.”
Article content
