"The press statement also shows that the protests at Avenue Road were part of a more significant effort, which included protests at high-visibility sites all over Toronto and Ontario. This further undermines any suggestion that the protest was related to the Jewish character of the area."
January 9, 2024
To:
Dalson Chen, Video Journalist, CBC Windsor
Brodie Fenlon, News Editor-in-Chief, CBC News
Nancy Waugh, Sr. Manager, CBC News
Dear Dalson Chen, Brodie Fenlon, and Nancy Waugh,
I am writing to express concern about the article, “Pro-Palestinian march in Jewish neighbourhood sparks criticism from Windsor Jewish Federation,” published on January 9 in CBC News.
There are two issues in your article that need to be corrected.
First, you include a quote from Dan Brotman, executive director of the Windsor Jewish Federation, saying: “We canʼt prove it. But what we can say is that this is a strategy being used by the pro-Palestinian movement in other parts of North America, including in Toronto.”
Pro-Palestine protesters do not deliberately choose to protest in specific neighborhoods because they are Jewish. These protests have occurred across Ontario and Toronto.
The organizers of the protests themselves released a press statement, “Eglinton-Lawrence & Don Valley 4 Palestine, January 8 press statement,” which makes clear that the protests are in no way targeting Jewish people or even taking place in the location because it is a “Jewish neighborhood.” Many of the organizers are Jewish and live in the neighbourhood; others are not Jewish but also live there. The organizers write:
We are exercising our right to peaceful assembly in our own neighborhood by attending recent rallies at 401 @ Avenue, a busy overpass and intersection with high visibility and sidewalks. We are NOT protesting in this intersection because of its “high Jewish population.” We are protesting because of its accessibility to us and its visibility. […] It should be noted that this action follows the model of similar 401 banner drops organized in solidarity with Ukraine – actions that raised no similar objections.
The above statement from the organizers themselves shows that this claim that the protest was chosen because of its Jewish population is false.
The press statement also shows that the protests at Avenue Road were part of a more significant effort, which included protests at high-visibility sites all over Toronto and Ontario. This further undermines any suggestion that the protest was related to the Jewish character of the area.
I, therefore, suggest adding a reference to this press statement and giving voice to the organizers of the Toronto January 6 protest to counterbalance that false claim.
Second, you write: “Organizers say they weren't aware they were marching in a Jewish neighbourhood.”
Writing “Jewish neighborhood” without explaining what makes it Jewish is taking Dan Brotman, executive director of the Windsor Jewish Federation, opinion at face value.
It also seeks to conflate a pro-Palestine protest with antisemitism, although the protest did not occur there because of its location, as explained in the first point.
I, therefore, suggest removing the word Jewish to neighborhood to not mislead your readers.
Given this evidence, I ask for corrections to ensure that this article respects the journalistic obligations of accuracy and fairness.
I hope CBC News will not further mislead its readers regarding the pro-Palestine protests and their intentions.
Sincerely,
Fatima Haidar,
Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East