Cowardly politicians have empowered Black Lives Matter
By
Christina Blizzard, Queen's Park Columnist
First posted: Tuesday, July 05, 2016 05:07 PM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, July 05, 2016 06:40 PM EDT
Premier Kathleen Wynne and other craven politicians have created a monster in Black Lives Matter.
Our political leaders dealt with BLM with such cynicism they’ve emboldened and empowered a group that really speaks only for itself.
Back in April, Wynne waded into a group of BLM demonstrators on the lawn of Queen’s Park, ostensibly to show she cares about their issues.
It was an empty gesture — just lip service. Beleaguered by revelations of costly fundraisers where well-heeled companies paid thousands of dollars to wine and dine with Liberal grandees, I suspect the premier was trying to make it appear she’s open and available and free to anyone who asks.
She created a powder keg, wading into a hostile crowd with protesters screaming in her face. She had her own OPP security with her, but Toronto cops who were on hand looked very worried.
If anything had happened, they would have been blamed.
Meanwhile, the government has caved to demands on carding. Fair enough, it wasn’t just BLM demanding changes. It was time for a review. But the way democracies change policies is inside the legislature, not on the lawn outside.
One is called parliamentary democracy. The other is mob rule.
What BLM did at the Pride parade was not just outrageous — it was stupidly reckless. Stopping the parade and setting off smoke bombs just weeks after the Orlando attack on a gay bar was like yelling, “Fire” in a crowded theatre.
People who were there tell me thousands of people were trapped in a small space in sweltering heat. The country’s entire political elite was at the parade. It was a security nightmare.
BLM demanded Pride director Mathieu Chantelois sign their list of demands, which included a promise to ban police floats in future parades.
Chantelois later said he signed the paper under duress and BLM, “isn’t going to tell us there’s no more floats in the parade.”
Good for him. He acted like the adult in the room and should be applauded for doing the right thing.
His group invited BLM to Pride as “honoured guests” and they responded by holding the parade hostage. Why does BLM see their agenda as more important than everyone else’s?
They only welcome cops if they’re working to keep them safe. You’d think Pride organizers would be pleased to have all the cops they can get at the parade.
If BLM wants to get their message across, they should hold their own parade and not hijack one they had no part in organizing.
They raise serious issues about policing. But where were they last week, when Ombudsman Paul Dube released a thoughtful and thorough review of some of the very issues they purport to care about?
Dube was critical of cops’ “shoot first, talk later,” training and suggested changes. Yet, BLM didn’t engage on that. Are they only interested in rabble-rousing? Their message is buried by their tactics.
And what’s with Desmond Cole? He insists he’s not a spokesman for BLM, but any time the group needs a spokesman, he’s conveniently front and centre.
If he’s not a spokesman, he’s certainly an apologist.
BLM represents no one but themselves. They’re not elected; they’re not appointed, and their actions suggest they’re anarchists.
But in caving in to their demands, Wynne and people like Toronto Mayor John Tory, have given BLM licence to hold this city hostage at will. What’s next?
Will they halt the Caribbean carnival?
Or perhaps they’ll find the Santa Claus Parade shamefully white and shut that down as well.
Members of Black Lives Matter Toronto take part in the annual Pride Parade. (THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Cowardly politicians have empowered Black Lives Matter | BLIZZARD | Toronto & GT
Time for Mayor John Tory to stand up to Black Lives Matter
By
Sue-Ann Levy, Toronto Sun
First posted: Tuesday, July 05, 2016 07:08 PM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, July 05, 2016 07:19 PM EDT
Paging John Tory.
You know that Toronto mayor who has a photo or media opportunity at least three times a week and a huge presence on social media.
That mayor who was seen here, there and everywhere during Pride month and in his bright pink shirt at Sunday’s Pride parade.
Come out, come out wherever you are.
This would certainly be the time for the leader of Canada’s largest city to step up to the plate and say that what Black Lives Matter (BLM) Toronto did to sabotage, yes sabotage, Sunday’s publicly-funded Pride parade was beyond the pale.
I don’t want to put words in his mouth, but Tory might want to tell them that it was and is not BLM’s prerogative to hold an entire downtown crowd of parade revellers and marchers hostage until Pride Toronto met their list of demands. Those demands, which include banning police floats in future parades, prove to me that BLM is not the slightest bit interested in inclusion, except when it comes to including them.
Seeing as Tory sits on the police services board, we would have expected him to tell this group — who’ve acted more like aggressive, petulant little children than activists truly concerned with saving all black lives (and not just those shot by police) — that they don’t get to dictate whether the Toronto police participate in future parades, either on floats or by providing security and protection.
In fairness to Tory, the Toronto Sun did obtain a copy of an 11th-hour letter the mayor sent to Toronto Police Association president Mike McCormack acknowledging the good job the police did in Sunday’s parade and assuring him the police will continue to be involved in Pride (The mayor evades the subject of BLM and their inappropriate actions entirely).
That’s nowhere near enough. If Tory was smart, he’d thank the police publicly and demand an apology from BLM for hijacking the parade.
We don’t want to hear a safe little comment like he has “serious concerns” about the Toronto police being banned from future parades. We’re not impressed, either, with his decision to pass the buck to the Pride organizers to deal with BLM so that he won’t sacrifice his “excellent working relationship” with them, as his spokesman Amanda Galbraith told my Toronto Sun colleagues Monday.
For heaven’s sake, Pride organizers did such a fine job of mishandling the toxic presence of Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (QuAIA) in the parade over five years, all we need is to have them negotiate with the BLM bullies. Left to them, I can only imagine what group will hold the parade hostage next year.
Besides, the city gave Pride $260,000 in funding this year, not to mention what is sure to top $400,000 in free policing and City Hall resources for set-up and clean-up.
Tory didn’t seem to have a problem speaking out against QuAIA when he was a talk show host.
But now that he’s mayor, the cat appears to have gotten his tongue.
It makes me wonder who is running the show in this city — the mayor or BLM?
Sadly, I saw it coming.
Tory remained mum when I tried to reach him over two days in June to comment on whether BLM really deserved to get City Hall’s William P. Hubbard Award for (good) Race Relations — one of five yearly Access, Equity and Human Rights awards given to leftist activists.
He not only refused to respond for a June 24 column but approval of the award was rammed through quietly and quickly at the June 28 executive committee meeting.
The very day my column appeared, Tory also said nothing when BLM rudely interrupted the unveiling of a police mural in the Gay Village.
It’s little wonder BLM felt emboldened to do what they did at the parade.
I think we all need to send our mayor a strong message: Pandering to political correctness is not leadership. Speaking out about those who take advantage of the city’s goodwill, is.
It’s never too late to step up to the plate.
SLevy@postmedia.com
Time for Mayor John Tory to stand up to Black Lives Matter | LEVY | Toronto & GT
Mayor John Tory backs cops in Pride controversy
By
Joe Warmington, Toronto Sun
First posted: Tuesday, July 05, 2016 08:28 PM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, July 05, 2016 08:36 PM EDT
Sorry Black Lives Matter, but count Mayor John Tory in as a supporter of having Toronto Police take part in next year’s Pride Parade — whether you like it or not.
In fact, Tory has penned a letter of support to the Toronto Police Association, although he has been mostly silent on the issue since Sunday’s egregious “shut it down” move. As part of its protest, Black Lives Matter (BLM) forced Pride Toronto organizers to sign a list of demands, including banning police as revellers and participants in future parades.
The letter, obtained by the Toronto Sun and written to TPA President Mike McCormack, offers assurances there are efforts ongoing to solve the crisis sparked by BLM’s latest disruptive, pathetic stunt.
“I for one appreciate both the support for Pride and all that it represents coming from the police officers who march as well as the professional way in which they have kept Pride and it’s participants safe all these years,” wrote Tory.
He expresses his belief this issue will get sorted out.
“I am confident Pride and it’s supporters, including me, will be successful in seeing this participation continue in the years to come.”
Now, it’s not a tersely written missive condemning BLM or those behind the scenes who have been trying to move away from police being a Pride partner. But McCormack said it didn’t have to be.
“We see this as 100% support from the mayor toward the Toronto Police and our members and the other police services and members who come to celebrate the parade,” he said. “We appreciate Mayor Tory’s letter because our members are very proud to participate in Pride and many were hurt by the events of this week.”
One down, one to go.
Next needs to be a letter from Pride Toronto, expressing support and gratitude toward TPS and TPA members and other police services, including Hamilton, Peel and the OPP.
Although hopeful, McCormack said that show of support had not come as of deadline Tuesday.
What is out there from Pride Toronto is a Facebook posting in essence saying police are not a slam dunk to be parade participants in the future — something BLM asked for in demand No. 8.
“Law enforcement are critical to ensuring a safe festival for ensuring a safe parade,” it said in the posting. “Toronto Police will continue to lead security planning for future parades and we thank them for their efforts. We have had, and will continue to have, discussions with the police about the nature of their involvement as parade participants.”
It also said “this August, Pride Toronto will host a public town hall to gather feedback about the 2016 festival. In advance of the meeting we invite you to share your thoughts by contacting co-chairs of Pride Toronto.”
Many TPA members, including the “hundreds” who are members of the LGBTQ community, “were not impressed,” said McCormack.
He said his phone has been ringing off the hook with calls from members expressing outrage.
“We certainly are reading this Facebook posting as we are on the bubble when it comes to being included in Pride,” said McCormack. “It’s pretty sad since the whole idea of the parade is supposed to be about inclusion. We certainly all have bigger things to worry about in our city than exclusion.”
Can you imagine if the roles were reversed and Toronto Police are were talking this way about their taking part in Pride. McCormack has been patient and not taken the suggestions of some to pull all police volunteer support.
“Police officers supporting the parade is important to them,” he said.
Time will tell if Pride Toronto will end this crazy game of chicken and accept they dropped the ball on this.
But with Tory officially entering the fight by offering his support for police, it would be wise for the organization to act soon.
It will be interesting to see how this shakes out.
Will it be common sense or BLM’s bully tactics that win?
Mayor John Tory backs cops in Pride controversy | WARMINGTON | Home | Toronto Su
BLM says it is the target of hate mail
THE CANADIAN PRESS
First posted: Tuesday, July 05, 2016 08:45 PM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, July 05, 2016 09:03 PM EDT
The controversial activist group that stalled Canada’s largest Pride says it is now being flooded with hate mail.
Black Lives Matter (BLM) says the vitriol is a demonstration of the racism the group is trying to fight with its actions.
On Sunday, some of its members staged a sit-in, halting the parade for about 30 minutes.
The parade resumed when Pride Toronto’s executive director Mathieu Chantelois signed a list of demands that included banning police from taking part in future parades.
Chantelois later told the media that he only signed the list of demands so he could get the parade moving again.
Ever since the sit-in, Black Lives Matter Toronto has been the target of “dozens and dozens” of vicious and racist e-mails — some from members of the LGBTQ community — said co-founder Janaya Khan.
“I think that is testament to why we had to create an intervention into Pride in the first place,” said Khan.
The hate mail — “100%” made up of anti-black racism — denounces members who have identified as queer and trans, said Khan.
“It’s ‘You could never be a part of our community, you savage monkey,’ that kind of thing,” she said. “In their minds, my blackness made it so that I couldn’t possibly be a part of their community.”
The group is now focused on ensuring Pride Toronto follows through with the list of demands signed at the parade.
Black Lives Matter at Toronto's Pride parade on Sunday. (ERNEST DOROSZUK, Toronto Sun)
BLM says it is the target of hate mail | Toronto & GTA | News | Toronto Sun
