Shoah Commemoration at Vanier College

"I was scheduled to participate and speak at a commemoration of the Shoah, the Holocaust."

"It was very disappointing that Vanier decided to cancel the commemoration in fear, I was told, of demonstrations and problems with agitators outside the college."

"When fear rules your decisions rather than conviction of what is right, that’s dangerous."

"We live in a very fractured world now, and I think that we have to remember our history. I think that an educational institution such as Vanier has an obligation to educate their students and help them see each other as human beings."

"My talk was really going to be about our responsibilities as human beings, about the importance of remembrance, and how if education is the only tool, are we using it to the best of its possibilities."

"If we don’t learn from our history, then we’re condemned to repeat it and we’re well on the way to repetition."

"I would hope that Vanier reconsiders this decision, if not for this year, then for next year, and allow students to learn from it."

Eva Kuper, 85, Holocaust survivor, volunteer, Montreal Holocaust Museum

Eva Kuper, seen at the Montreal Holocaust Museum in 2017, was scheduled to speak at Vanier College about surviving the Holocaust. Last week she learned Vanier called off the ceremony. Photo by Pierre Obendrauf /Montreal Gazette

"While the College was not the target of a specific threat, in light of the current geopolitical context and information provided by our security team, we elected to review the event’s scheduling and format to err on the side of caution."

"[We are] currently reviewing the format of [the] annual Holocaust commemoration ceremony. [An] important event [that] holds a significant place in our institutional history [as it] brings together a number of external guest and dignitaries, students, staff and members of the general public."

"We are working to develop an alternative that honours the significance of this historical event that aligns with our values of education, remembrance and community well-being."

Vanier College, Saint Laurent, Montreal 

SAINT LAURENT, Q.C. - Vanier College on March 24, 2026. Terry Newman/National Post

 

Vanier College in the Saint Laurent borough of Montreal issued a statement on Wednesday to the effect that its 34th Symposium on the Holocaust and Genocide is continuing as planned, but the commemorative event was postponed. This abrupt announcement took everyone involved by surprise, not the least the invited guests as well as the presenters. What had been a mainstay for decades has seen the 35th version of the Holocaust commemoration cancelled, evidently due to concerns over the perceived issue of its attracting a violent backlash from pro-Palestinian contingents that have been marching for over two years against the existence of the state of Israel, while intimidating the Montreal Jewish community in a replay of the very scenarios leading up to the Holocaust throughout the Third Reich.

 

Speeches scheduled for the commemoration of that signal event of historical horror, from Christian Wagner, consul general of Germany, Eliaz Luf, consul general of Israel, Eva Kuper, a Holocaust survivor, and two Vanier students, summarily cancelled. Memorial prayers and a candle-lighting ceremony, planned for the the event would obviously also not take place. During the college's 34th Annual Symposium on the Holocaust and Genocide, 17 allied events were scheduled between March 23 to 27.

 

An event meant to honour the memory of 6 million Jews who were murdered during World War II by a Fascist totalitarian government cancelled as the organizers cowered in fear that hateful mobs that call for another Holocaust might disrupt the proceedings, and conceivably overwhelm the security guards posted at the institute  for all events to maintain order and civility. For events such as this, however, where a whiff of Jew-hate raises its threatening spectre of violence and the possibility of a riot and injuries or even worse, tender souls shrivel in fear.

 

In contrast to the heightened trepidation and an enlarged number of security personnel for any event featuring a speaker in support of Israel, there are also anti-Zionist Palestine presentations, such as occurred at an International Women's Week event at Vanier College. Where there was a notable absence of security guards in numbers that might dissuade psychopathic reaction from disaffected outsiders. All those disaffected outsiders, in effect, were in attendance at the event. 

 

 

 

"[The situation has been a] misunderstanding, [the broader Holocaust symposium has gone ahead.."

"The Holocaust symposium has been unfolding this week as planned, with over 15 talks on different themes pertaining to the Holocaust and Jewish history."

"Most of those decisions are made by the executive team, composed of all the directors of all the departments, including the department responsible for the security. [The decision applied only to the commemorative portion of the event]."

"That came with parameters that we felt, given the geopolitical situation, were not optimal for us to ensure safety and security. We felt it would be best for us to explore alternatives to be able to hold it under safer parameters."

"I do understand that the misunderstanding that took place could have been very disturbing… and I’m sincerely sorry about that misunderstanding."

Benoit Morin, director general, Vanier College

 

"[This is a] disgraceful act of capitulation."

"When a Holocaust commemoration is deemed a ‘security risk,’ that is not a reason to cancel the event, it is proof that something has gone deeply wrong."

"One of the last living witnesses to history was ready to share her testimony, and an institution of higher learning decided that it was safer to cancel her than to stand behind her."

Jewish Community Council of Montreal 

 

Queers for Palestine's Influence in Ottawa's Pride Parade Cancellation

"I don't think we want to have a situation where anybody can just block a parade -- especially Capital Pride -- put a bunch of demands on the table, and the parade doesn't move forward unless people get into those demands. I don't think that's acceptable."

"I don't think that's a proper way to advocate or discuss the issues that are important to those people."

"If you start licensing people to block parades and other events and say we'll do whatever you ask, where does it end?" 

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe addressed Sunday's parade cancellation during a news conference at city hall on Monday. (Arthur White-Crummey/CBC)

"As a community organization, we strive to engage with our community members in good faith and to balance the various interests and demands that are made of us while also organizing one of the largest festivals in our city."

"Throughout the summer, we had several meetings with Q4P [Queers for Palestine], along with other community groups to discuss the issues that are important to them."

"Unfortunately, the group refused to have a meaningful discussion about how to move forward. After over an hour of attempting to resolve the stoppage, it became clear that Q4P was unwilling to engage in a good faith conversation and was insistent on misrepresenting our discussion."

Capital Pride clarification statement

A pro-Palestine protester holds a 'No Pride in Genocide' sign during a march following the annual Capital Pride Parade in Ottawa on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

 

A year ago, the organizers of the annual Capital Pride parade when pressured by pro-Palestinian groups agreed to issue a statement at their behest, censuring Israel for its conflict in Gaza. As a result, Jewish gay groups felt excluded, and the Jewish community censored the parade organizers for bringing international politics and a foreign war into a gay community-organized event meant to support that community. Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe declined to attend, as did the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, the Ottawa Hospital and political party representatives.

 

This year no such declaration and support of the BDS movement was included; lesson learned. After all, no one can be totally ignorant that the treatment of LGBTQ2S+ scored 19 out of 100 by Equaldex, an online resource tracking their treatment. Queers for Palestine, however, in the nation's capital was outraged that Capital Pride capitulated to critical opinion, refusing to repeat its support in this year's Pride Parade. They chose to block the parade shortly after it began, with demands that parade officials meet their 'demands'.

 

Protesters holding signs and Palestinian flags, the signage reading "no pride in genocide", and a banner reading "all of us or none of us" and "stone wall was an intifada", aggressively blocked the proceedings. Chants of "free, free Palestine", "long live the intifada", and "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" rang out to an unappreciative audience. "We will not leave until our elected officials and Capital Pride come down and meet our demands", Masha Davidovic, Queers for Palestine-Ottawa insisted.

 

A Pro-Palestine protester chants as they walk through blocked traffic following the annual Capital Pride Parade in Ottawa, on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press)

 

A pamphlet circulating at the Sunday protest indicated that Capital Pride was pressured by pro-Palestinian groups to host a BDS (boycott, divestment, sanctions) town hall in support of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, to force economic pressure on corporations, banks and others to withdraw support for Israel. Mayor Sutcliffe was called on to "apologize for last year's boycott of the parade and a call to defund Pride", and "commit to stand with protesters and all oppressed peoples, including Palestinians". 

 

Over 7,000 people, representing over 175 groups had assembled with the intention of marching in the parade. The parade hadn't managed to get very far on its route before it was interrupted by several hundred of the pro-Palestinian protesters, forcing Capital Pride to make the decision to cancel the remainder of their route, informing everyone to pack up and leave. Last year OCDSB trustee Donna Blackburn was censured by colleagues for ignoring the school board's withdrawal decision when a pro-Palestinian statement was issued by Capital Pride. She was instructed to attend an antisemitism training.  

"We are bummed, of course, but we had a blast for the block and a half that we walked, and everyone was so positive, so it was still a net win for us."

"We sang, we spread the word. It's still been a bit sad to not get to finish the run, but it is what it is."

Stefania Wheelhouse of Toto Too Theatre 

 

"[The action taken by the pro-Palestinian movement was] backwards; protesters had] hijacked [the parade]."

"I have publicly stood up for the Palestinian community in a very public way, took a lot of personal heat for doing it. I'm now a target of the Zionists. They're coming after me. But this is not the way to get people onto your side."

"Blackmailing the mayor in the middle of the parade is completely, highly inappropriate. There are ways to lobby. There are ways to advocate, and holding a parade like this hostage and blackmailing politicians in the middle of it is completely inappropriate."

"Hopefully the rest of the day we can just go about celebrating. The community organizations are down [on Bank Street] with their booths, and I'm sure the music will be good and all that stuff. It's just unfortunate the parade was hijacked."

Donna Blackburn, Ottawa-Carleton district School Board trustee  

Capital Pride's annual parade launched from City Hall Saturday but ground to a halt near Parliament Hill after pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked the route, Sunday, August 24, 2025. Photo by Ashley Fraser/Postmedia 

"My heart goes out to the many people in our city who were deprived of the opportunity to participate in this celebration of joy, resilience, and community."

"At a time when 2SLGBTQIA+ rights are under attack around the world, it's critical to show our solidarity with the community and honour all those who have achieved hard-won progress on equal rights."

"Ottawa should always be a place of inclusion, where everyone feels welcome. Let's continue to work together for a better city, for everyone."

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe