Latest news with #Housefather
Vancouver Sun
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
MPs call on Canada to bar British rap duo Bob Vylan over ‘death, death to the IDF' chant at Glastonbury
Liberal MP Anthony Housefather is calling on the Canadian government to bar the British rap duo Bob Vylan from Canada after the group led the crowd in a chant of death to the Israeli military at the Glastonbury Festival in the United Kingdom over the weekend. On Monday, the U.S. State Department said that it had 'revoked the U.S. visas' of the band members who performed at the festival in southwest England on Saturday, ahead of several American tour dates in October and November. 'Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,' Christopher Landau, the deputy secretary of state wrote on X. The announcement prompted Housefather, a former special advisor on antisemitism and Jewish community relations under then prime minister Justin Trudeau, to demand the federal government follow suit. Bob Vylan is set to perform in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal in December. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'This is a good decision by the United States,' Housefather wrote on Monday afternoon. 'The incitement by Bob Vylan and his band at Glastonbury have no place in North America. I have been in touch with the minister of Public Safety and believe that Mr. Vylan's actions should render him inadmissible to Canada.' On Saturday, frontman Bobby Vylan shouted 'Free, free Palestine' while on stage, before leading the crowd to chant 'Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defense Forces).' On social media on Sunday, Vylan, whose real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, appeared to stand by his comments. In an Instagram post captioned 'I said what I said,' he wrote that he has received 'messages of both support and hatred' over his performance. 'Teaching our children to speak up for the change they want and need is the only way that we make this world a better place,' he wrote. In an email to National Post Monday afternoon, Housefather said that 'Vylan's conduct in Glastonbury should render him inadmissible for entry and I sent the information on what occurred to the minister (of public safety) and his team.' The ministry did not respond to the Post's request for comment in time for publication. Members of the Conservative Party have echoed Housefather's call to ban Bob Vylan from entering Canada. 'The U.K.'s Labour government has decried this person's performance as 'hate speech,' and the United States will not allow them entry to do the same,' Conservative NP Michelle Rempel Garner, the MP for Calgary Nose Hill, wrote shortly after Housefather's initial post, tagging the minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship in her message. 'I call upon Canada's government to do the same and deny any requests from this group to enter Canada.' Garner reiterated her demand after one user commented on her original message with a list of several Canadian tour stops. 'They should not be allowed into Canada to spread their hate,' she responded . Vylan's comments before a packed crowd filled with Palestinian and Lebanese flags drew the condemnation of the Glastonbury Festival's organizers and even British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The Labour Party leader said in a written statement, 'There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech,' and said the BBC 'needs to explain how these scenes came to be broadcast.' The publicly funded news network has faced allegations of anti-Israel bias in its coverage of the war in the Middle East. On Monday, the BBC apologized for streaming the event with an on-screen warning and said Vylan's comments were 'utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves.' The Avon and Somerset Police also issued a statement acknowledging 'a criminal investigation is now being undertaken' into Vylan's comments. 'There is absolutely no place in society for hate,' the law enforcement body added. A Northern Irish group, Kneecap, was also listed in the police announcement. The group had its American visa pulled over anti-Israel comments made during a performance at Coachella earlier this year after the band displayed the following message : 'F–k Israel/Free Palestine.' Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Calgary Herald
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
MPs call on Canada to bar British rap duo Bob Vylan over ‘death, death to the IDF' chant at Glastonbury
Liberal MP Anthony Housefather is calling on the Canadian government to bar the British rap duo Bob Vylan from Canada after the group led the crowd in a chant of death to the Israeli military at the Glastonbury Festival in the United Kingdom over the weekend. Article content On Monday, the U.S. State Department said that it had 'revoked the U.S. visas' of the band members who performed at the festival in southwest England on Saturday, ahead of several American tour dates in October and November. 'Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,' Christopher Landau, the deputy secretary of state wrote on X. Article content Article content The announcement prompted Housefather, a former special advisor on antisemitism and Jewish community relations under then prime minister Justin Trudeau, to demand the federal government follow suit. Bob Vylan is set to perform in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal in December. Article content Article content 'This is a good decision by the United States,' Housefather wrote on Monday afternoon. 'The incitement by Bob Vylan and his band at Glastonbury have no place in North America. I have been in touch with the minister of Public Safety and believe that Mr. Vylan's actions should render him inadmissible to Canada.' Article content On Saturday, frontman Bobby Vylan shouted 'Free, free Palestine' while on stage, before leading the crowd to chant 'Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defense Forces).' Article content On social media on Sunday, Vylan, whose real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, appeared to stand by his comments. In an Instagram post captioned 'I said what I said,' he wrote that he has received 'messages of both support and hatred' over his performance. Article content Article content 'Teaching our children to speak up for the change they want and need is the only way that we make this world a better place,' he wrote. Article content Article content In an email to National Post Monday afternoon, Housefather said that 'Vylan's conduct in Glastonbury should render him inadmissible for entry and I sent the information on what occurred to the minister (of public safety) and his team.' Article content 'The U.K.'s Labour government has decried this person's performance as 'hate speech,' and the United States will not allow them entry to do the same,' Conservative NP Michelle Rempel Garner, the MP for Calgary Nose Hill, wrote shortly after Housefather's initial post, tagging the minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship in her message. 'I call upon Canada's government to do the same and deny any requests from this group to enter Canada.'
Edmonton Journal
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Edmonton Journal
MPs call on Canada to bar British rap duo Bob Vylan over ‘death, death to the IDF' chant at Glastonbury
Article content The announcement prompted Housefather, a former special advisor on antisemitism and Jewish community relations under then prime minister Justin Trudeau, to demand the federal government follow suit. Bob Vylan is set to perform in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal in December. 'This is a good decision by the United States,' Housefather wrote on Monday afternoon. 'The incitement by Bob Vylan and his band at Glastonbury have no place in North America. I have been in touch with the minister of Public Safety and believe that Mr. Vylan's actions should render him inadmissible to Canada.' On Saturday, frontman Bobby Vylan shouted 'Free, free Palestine' while on stage, before leading the crowd to chant 'Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defense Forces).' On social media on Sunday, Vylan, whose real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, appeared to stand by his comments. In an Instagram post captioned 'I said what I said,' he wrote that he has received 'messages of both support and hatred' over his performance.
Montreal Gazette
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Housefather hopes to heal division in Mount Royal riding
Canadian Politics By Days after winning a fourth term as MP of the Mount Royal riding, Anthony Housefather said he will work to heal a divided community. With 51.1 per cent of the vote, Housefather won with a comfortable majority, with a margin of more than 5,000 votes over his Conservative opponent Neil Oberman, who received 40.5 per cent of the vote. However, it was the issue of the Jewish vote that weighed heavy in this campaign, as both candidates acknowledge that many from the majority Jewish city of Côte-St-Luc and town of Hampstead voted Conservative. Official results from Elections Canada were not available as of publication. Housefather said despite the rhetoric from many people on social media, the results showed the Jewish community didn't overwhelmingly reject his candidacy. 'I didn't lose the Jewish vote by massive amounts,' he said. 'I won the advance polls in largely Jewish areas, and on election day, I won many polls where Jews form the majority. Now that the election is over, my hope is that in the next election, I will win back all communities, and prove through my work as an MP that I deserve their vote.' Though Mount Royal has been Liberal for 85 years, it's not the first time the Jewish community rejected the Liberal party in this riding. Housefather's predecessor Irwin Cotler said he too lost the Jewish vote during the last two of his three terms. 'It's very similar to 2015, where Stephen Harper was very popular with the Jewish community,' Housefather said. In the months leading up to the election, many on social media expressed anger against the Liberal government for what they perceived as inaction against rising antisemitism. Housefather said he has no problem accepting criticism of his party and his record, but he found this campaign more difficult than others. He said there was a concerted effort on social media to attack his character. 'On a daily basis, there were some in our community who would post things attacking me five or six times a day,' he said. 'For someone who served the community for 30 years, whether people like what I've done, I think I've always done my best, and I think I delivered for the community. It was deeply hurtful and I have to now get over that and I have to try to bring everyone together and I am going to try to do that.' For his part, Oberman said he's proud of the campaign he waged. His 40.5 per cent of the vote was the largest share by a Conservative candidate since 1958, according to statistics from the Library of Parliament. 'I think we sent a strong message to the Liberal Party of Canada that the Jewish community will not tolerate being disrespected, or not being heard,' Oberman said. 'What I think we need to see from the federal government is leadership, and it needs to come by ensuring our streets are removed of those who wish to break the law and attack minority communities. We need to make sure university campuses are protected by ensuring laws are applied.' He said he will continue to fight for the community, and that he's 'not going anywhere.' At the Côte-St-Luc Shopping Centre this week, many of those who voted on Monday said they were pleased with the result. 'I'm happy that Anthony Housefather won,' said a Ruby, a Jewish woman who lives in Côte-St-Luc. 'He's a good man, very honest; he's straightforward, and he's a very hard worker.' She added she didn't think the anger against Housefather was warranted. 'Why were people angry? You have to ask them.' Another woman said she was disappointed with the result. 'We were hoping for a change, and I was surprised,' said Katie, who is also Jewish. 'I feel there was no support to try to (combat) antisemitism. I was disappointed. I don't think (Carney) supports or cares, while (Pierre) Poilievre was very expressive in support of the Jewish community in his promise to defund universities that have (problems with antisemitism).'
Montreal Gazette
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Liberal Anthony Housefather elected to fourth term in Mount Royal riding
Canadian Politics By First there was the silence, then came the worried anguish, and in the end Anthony Housefather held on to his seat to be elected to a fourth term in the Mount Royal riding. CBC declared he had won the race around 12:30 a.m., but Housefather still said he was 'cautiously optimistic.' Polls closed at 9:30 p.m., and the nervous Liberal incumbent retreated to a back room where he spent most of the night either alone or with a small number of staffers in the office converted from a former Bétonel paint shop on Décarie Blvd. at the corner of Bourret Ave. He emerged for about a minute during the night as volunteers watched the results come in on a television that was set up. He said a quick 'thank you' to his campaign staff and then returned to his back office. Information coming from the poll observers was bad at first, with Côte-St-Luc and Hampstead polling stations voting overwhelmingly for the challenger, Conservative Neil Oberman. If successful, it would have been the first time the riding went Blue in 90 years. In the time since, the riding was held by six MPs, including Pierre Trudeau, Sheila Finestone and Irwin Cotler. With the second-largest plurality of Jewish voters in the country, the question of rising antisemitism was identified as one of the key issues by many voters. While some voters harboured resentment toward Housefather and the Liberal party for perceived inaction against rising antisemitism, others applauded the longtime MP for standing up for the community. He was the lone MP to vote against Bill C-13, a major revamp of Canada's Official Languages Act in 2023. He was also among three Liberal MPs to vote against an NDP motion last year recognizing Palestinian statehood. After the vote, Housefather said he was reflecting on his future with the Liberal party, but he ultimately decided not to cross the floor to join the Conservatives. Households were divided, including that of former MP Cotler, who supported his successor, while his wife, Ariela, publicly supported the Conservative. In an interview granted during the campaign, Cotler said he, too, lost the Jewish vote in Côte-St-Luc and Hampstead, but ended up winning the riding twice with strong showings in Town of Mount Royal and Côte-des-Neiges. It appears that is how Housefather's votes also played out in this campaign. Oberman, a local lawyer, was thrust into the spotlight in January 2024 when he represented a Concordia student who sent a letter to the university's administration to demand it take immediate steps against antisemitism and violence directed at Jewish students. In March 2024, he represented the Jewish community at large in its quest to have a court order an injunction against protesting outside schools and synagogues. He declared his candidacy for the Conservatives early — having campaigned since June 2024. With just an hour before polls closed, a Hampstead resident took the time to cast the first ballot in his life, and he voted for change. 'I'm happy I did it,' said Ben, 18, who declined to give his last name, standing outside Hampstead School. 'The biggest issue that drew me was crime and how crime is going to be reduced. I like Poilievre's three-strikes policy that he's proposing.' Ben added that he also voted with antisemitism in mind. 'I'm a Jewish person, and I see what's going on in Montreal,' he said. 'There hasn't been a change, and Poilievre has said he would advocate for that.' Both Ben and his father, Michael, said they held Housefather in high esteem, but said they were angry with how the party as a whole handled several issues. 'My vote is against the Liberals because (Housefather) was very poorly treated by the Liberals,' Michael said. 'He's an excellent candidate, and he stood up for us, and he was treated like garbage. That's the reason my vote was anti-Liberal.' At the campaign headquarters for Oberman, there was a party atmosphere in the last minutes of the voting process. 'I'm very proud of everyone who has worked with me,' Oberman said. 'I'm very honoured to have been in a race with people who stood up and did something. When you get out onto the street, knock on the doors and meet people, you realize how privileged we are in Canada to be able to do this.' Volunteers reported that there were more than 30 teams walking on the streets to get out the vote and several dozen working the phones throughout the course of the day. Speaking to The Gazette in the minutes after the victory, a visibly exhausted Housefather said he was frustrated by a dirty campaign waged by his Conservative opponent. 'It was the nastiest election campaign I ever faced,' Housefather said. 'It was a tough election to deal with that, and I will do my best to serve all people in my riding with the conviction they are used to from me.'
