The Media Accountability Project  

"Your article also drew attention to the incongruence of Hikvision’s actions and their words. They may state in their  2022 Environmental, Social and Governance Report that they “avoid actions that impede human rights …and that they operate within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” but their actions de facto contradict these principles."

"Bushnell’s statements echo his message incredibly clearly: “I will no longer be complicit in genocide. I am about to engage in an extreme act of protest, but compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it’s not extreme at all.” He yells, “Free Palestine,” until he falls to the ground, overcome by the flames."

"This confirms the fears some had about Canada’s complicity in Israel’s genocide against the Palestinians and its double standard in the way it gives greater value to white lives over BIPOC lives."

"I was disappointed to realize that you covered this story by choosing to publish an article from a wire news service instead of asking your staff members to write an article about it."

The reporter does not provide context related to Israel’s military offensive in Gaza until the very end of the article. Even so, it remains incredibly vague. There is no mention of the number of Palestinians who have been killed by Israel or the current conditions in Gaza. Considering Bushnell’s self-immolation was in staunch opposition to Israel’s genocide of Palestinians, this is essential information to incorporate.

This article is a blatant example of the type of biased reporting about protests that we strongly oppose. Before Palestinian advocates are allowed to provide their motivations for a protest or blockade, media outlets mention how CIJA and other pro-Israel lobby groups feel about these protests.

"I counted six specific examples of supposed harassment, three of which were pro-Palestinian protestors. Why is there a disproportionate number of examples involving these types of protests? Further, some of the examples of actions perpetrated by “pro-Palestine protestors” are perfectly reasonable, peaceful forms of protest that you frame as violent or dangerous."

"It is inaccurate and undermining to write “several local congregations.” This makes it seem like the call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the demand for the restoration of funding for the UN’s aid agency, and the condemnation of Israel’s war crimes came from a small number of people and was unpopular, which is not the case."

On February 23, 2024, CJPME sent a letter to the Hamilton Spectator, pushing the newspaper to remove a picture unrelated to a pro-Palestine rally organized by Oakville-Halton 4 Palestine (OH4P) referenced in an opinion piece.  CJPME also asked for the Spectator to include an apology as an editor’s note.

CJPME pointed out that the op-ed was paired with a xenophobic and fanaticism-intended Getty Image of a November pro-Palestine rally in Glasgow, Scotland, by Jeff J. Mitchell and that bore no relation to the pro-Palestine rally organized by OH4P.

On February 23, 2024, following our letter, Hamilton Spectator removed the photo and added the following editor’s note: NOTE: A Getty Images file photo of a protest rally in Glasgow, Scotland, has been removed from this story.

This small change is a step towards preventing further bias from media outlets against pro-Palestine protesters.

"Contrasted with the photo of an indoor interfaith meeting from Rabbi Wise himself, the photo seems intended to project xenophobia and fanaticism. This is highly inappropriate and deliberately misleading on the part of the Spec."