Trudeau underscores importance of free speech

Welcome to the Holocaust Museum. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Toronto’s Holocaust Museum to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day this year, particularly because of the events the horrific attack of October 7th, which led the Jews in Israel and around the world. Really. Israel’s subsequent war on Hamas, though, has resulted in the deaths of thousands of Palestinians, and that in turn sparked protests around the world, protests that recently spread to North American universities. My message for the American students is that we are extremely proud, and their protests and their solidarity with Palestine and with Gaza gave us a glimpse of hope. But recent protests on some university campuses. Have increased concerns about the safety of Jewish students, which in turn has sparked some counter protests like this one in Toronto Sunday. We are here today to show solidarity for this student, for our students, the students of the Jewish community, and all students as well who deserve to be studying in a safe environment, free from hate and free from intimidation. Elsewhere, some protests have veered into anti-Semitic hate like this one recently at the Vancouver Art Gallery. October 7th. Trudeau, like many political leaders in the West, has defended the right to protest but has criticized speech he says causes harm. The government believes some of that hateful speech springs from ignorance. And so, in the recent federal budget, it set aside $5 million for Holocaust Education and Remembrance programs to teach young people about the Nazis systematic campaign during the Second World War. That killed 6 million people. There appears to be much work to do. A 2019 poll found that one in five Canadians did not know about the Holocaust. Survivors, David Aiken. Global News, Ottawa.