Latest news with #Lyons'
Global News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Global News
Federal envoy urges Ontario to act on antisemitism in its public schools
Canada's special envoy on antisemitism says Ontario needs to take seriously incidents of anti-Jewish bigotry targeted at students in public schools. Deborah Lyons commissioned a survey of nearly 600 Jewish parents, and found hundreds of children were subjected to incidents including antisemitic bullying and blame for the carnage of Israel's military conduct in the Gaza Strip. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Families reported incidents such as children chanting Nazi slogans and giving salutes, and teachers telling students that Israel does not exist. The survey logged 781 incidents that it deemed antisemitic, including discussions on the Middle East that went beyond forceful criticism of Israel. Lyons' office approached various Jewish groups asking for them to promote the survey, and heard form families who have moved their children to other schools or removed markers of Jewish identity. The report marks a rare move of federal rapporteurs singling out issues outside of Ottawa's jurisdiction.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Federal envoy urges Ontario to act on antisemitism in its public schools
OTTAWA – Canada's special envoy on antisemitism says Ontario needs to take seriously incidents of anti-Jewish bigotry targeted at students in public schools. Deborah Lyons commissioned a survey of nearly 600 Jewish parents, and found hundreds of children were subjected to incidents including antisemitic bullying and blame for the carnage of Israel's military conduct in the Gaza Strip. Families reported incidents such as children chanting Nazi slogans and giving salutes, and teachers telling students that Israel does not exist. The survey logged 781 incidents that it deemed antisemitic, including discussions on the Middle East that went beyond forceful criticism of Israel. Lyons' office approached various Jewish groups asking for them to promote the survey, and heard form families who have moved their children to other schools or removed markers of Jewish identity. The report marks a rare move of federal rapporteurs singling out issues outside of Ottawa's jurisdiction. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 14, 2025.
South Wales Guardian
12-06-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Lyons should consider his position over social media post – Michelle O'Neill
Mr Lyons has faced criticism over a social media post about the location of migrant families who fled their homes. Mr Lyons has resisted calls for his resignation and said he would 'strongly hit back at any notion' that he had publicly revealed the facility was being used to house immigrant families who had been affected by violence in Ballymena. Masked youths attacked the leisure centre on Wednesday night and set it on fire. Prior to the fire, Mr Lyons posted on social media that the building had been used to accommodate several people following riotous behaviour in the town of Ballymena, which is 30 minutes away. Police said that ethnic minorities have been targeted in the violence, which they have described as 'racist thuggery'. Mr Lyons' post said: 'As a local MLA for the area, neither I nor my DUP council colleagues were made aware or consulted on this decision until late this afternoon.' He added: 'It has now been confirmed to us by the PSNI and council that all these individuals are in the care of the Housing Executive and have been moved out of Larne. 'Protesting is of course a legitimate right but violence is not and I would encourage everyone to remain peaceful.' Ms O'Neill said: 'He has failed to show correct leadership and I think that his commentary falls very short and very much strays into the territory of inflaming the situation, so I think that he should consider his position.' Asked if she was stating he should resign, she said: 'Yes, I believe he should consider his position.' Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, who is a DUP party colleague of Mr Lyons, said: 'I think that what the people of Northern Ireland need and want right now is to see that the Executive is united, and united on a very clear message. 'That is incredibly important, we have just seen three nights of violent disorder.' Mr Lyons was asked by the BBC Good Morning Ulster programme if he should still be in his job, and he replied: 'Absolutely.' He said: 'Let me set out the facts because it is clear that some don't know them. 'The leisure centre was used to temporarily house those who had been affected by the violence in Ballymena. 'This had been confirmed yesterday publicly. It was in the public domain, it was on a news website and it had been confirmed by the council. 'My message was posted because rumours had been circulating that the leisure centre was to be turned into a permanent centre, the messages flying about that caravans were being brought into the car park there. 'A protest had already been planned at 7pm last evening. 'The PSNI was then in contact with one of our local councillors and they were keen that we highlight the fact that the leisure centre was no longer being used for this purpose, they wanted to stop the rumours that people were being permanently housed there and all of that was the catalyst for the protest. 'As a result of that, I posted a clarification that the centre had been used but that was temporary and was no longer being used for that purpose.' Mr Lyons said he believed it was right that public representatives should be consulted when emergency protocols are put in place. He said: 'I believe that information is key here so that rumours don't circulate around. 'I will very strongly hit back at any notion that I have revealed the use of this facility to the public when the protest was already planned, when everybody knew what was happening.' Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said: 'If people have been forced out of their homes, they need to be taken to a place of safety and they need to be looked after because they will be traumatised and they will be frightened. 'I don't think it helps matters at all to publicise where they have been taken.' Matthew O'Toole, leader of the opposition in the Northern Ireland Assembly, said he had referred Mr Lyons' social media post to the Assembly standards commissioner. Alliance Party MLA Danny Donnelly said there had been a 'huge attack' in Larne. He added: 'If I was the minister I would be considering my position. 'I think he should seriously consider his position. 'Highlighting the location of where immigrant families who had been burnt out were taken to a place of safety on social media was reckless and dangerous, and it certainly was a factor in that protest. 'The result we have had, the town has been attacked by a racist mob.' Sinn Fein MLA Colm Gildernew said Mr Lyons' post was 'reckless and inflammatory'. He added: 'Leadership should show responsibility — not feed into the fear of the vulnerable.' Mid and East Antrim Borough Council said the leisure centre had been designated as an emergency rest centre for those in urgent need following disturbances in nearby Ballymena, but the families had been safely relocated elsewhere. Police and firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control on Wednesday night. The fire in Larne coincided with a third night of public disorder in Ballymena. The violence began around Clonavon Terrace on Monday night following an earlier peaceful protest which was organised in support of the family of a girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in the area. Two teenage boys, who spoke to a court through a Romanian interpreter, have been charged.
The Herald Scotland
12-06-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Lyons insists he will not resign following criticism of social media post
Masked youths attacked the leisure centre on Wednesday night and set it on fire. Prior to the fire, Mr Lyons posted on social media that the building had been used to accommodate several people following riotous behaviour in the town of Ballymena, which is 30 minutes away. Police said that ethnic minorities have been targeted in the violence which they have described as 'racist thuggery'. Mr Lyons' post said: 'As a local MLA for the area, neither I nor my DUP council colleagues were made aware or consulted on this decision until late this afternoon.' He added: 'It has now been confirmed to us by the PSNI and council that all these individuals are in the care of the Housing Executive and have been moved out of Larne. 'Protesting is of course a legitimate right but violence is not and I would encourage everyone to remain peaceful.' Some politicians have said Mr Lyons should be considering his position and Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said it was not helpful to publicise where people had been moved. Mr Lyons was asked by the BBC Good Morning Ulster programme if he should still be in his job and replied: 'Absolutely.' He said: 'Let me set out the facts because it is clear that some don't know them. 'The leisure centre was used to temporarily house those who had been affected by the violence in Ballymena. 'This had been confirmed yesterday publicly. It was in the public domain, it was on a news website and it had been confirmed by the council. 'My message was posted because rumours had been circulating that the leisure centre was to be turned into a permanent centre, the messages flying about that caravans were being brought into the car park there. 'A protest had already been planned at 7pm last evening. Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said he would not resign (Liam McBurney/PA) 'The PSNI was then in contact with one of our local councillors and they were keen that we highlight the fact that the leisure centre was no longer being used for this purpose, they wanted to stop the rumours that people were being permanently housed there and all of that was the catalyst for the protest. 'As a result of that, I posted a clarification that the centre had been used but that was temporary and was no longer being used for that purpose.' Mr Lyons said he believed it was right that public representatives should be consulted when emergency protocols are put in place. He said: 'I believe that information is key here so that rumours don't circulate around. 'I will very strongly hit back at any notion that I have revealed the use of this facility to the public when the protest was already planned, when everybody knew what was happening.' Mr Benn said: 'If people have been forced out of their homes, they need to be taken to a place of safety and they need to be looked after because they will be traumatised and they will be frightened. 'I don't think it helps matters at all to publicise where they have been taken.' Matthew O'Toole, leader of the opposition in the Northern Ireland Assembly, said he would refer Mr Lyons' social media post to the standards commissioner. Alliance Party MLA Danny Donnelly said there had been a 'huge attack' in Larne. He added: 'If I was the minister I would be considering my position. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said the minister's comments were not helpful (Ben Whitley/PA) 'I think he should seriously consider his position. 'Highlighting the location of where immigrant families who had been burnt out were taken to a place of safety on social media was reckless and dangerous, and it certainly was a factor in that protest. 'The result we have had, the town has been attacked by a racist mob.' Sinn Fein MLA Colm Gildernew said Mr Lyons' post was 'reckless and inflammatory'. He added: 'Leadership should show responsibility — not feed into the fear of the vulnerable.' Mid and East Antrim Borough Council said the leisure centre had been designated as an emergency rest centre for those in urgent need following disturbances in nearby Ballymena but the families had been safely relocated elsewhere. Police and firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control on Wednesday night. The fire in Larne coincided with a third night of public disorder in Ballymena. The violence began around Clonavon Terrace on Monday night following an earlier peaceful protest which was organised in support of the family of a girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in the area. Two teenage boys, who spoke to a court through a Romanian interpreter, have been charged.
The 42
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Meath's win over Dublin has lost some of its shine - can the Royals really roll with the punches?
YOU DON'T HAVE to finger through a stack of calendars to find how long it is since the Cork and Meath footballers traded punches as genuine heavyweights; one explosive snapshot from time takes care of the carbon dating. Colm O'Neill, Cork's fair-haired full-forward, has a hold of the ball after a free is called against him. Mick Lyons, Meath's granite full-back chiseled out of the Hill of Tara, wants it back to take it. Tired of Lyons' pawing for it, O'Neill delivered a reflex snapped punch to his face and the response of Summerhill's finest is to simply rub his chin in an Oscar impersonation of John Wayne after catching a loose haymaker in the midst of a wild west saloon brawl. It is the 1990 All-Ireland final, but Lyons' stoic response might as well have made it 1890. And, in a way, that is how long it feels too, and not just because we live in a time where players drop to the ground on the invite of a whiffed breeze. They get it together again this Saturday in Navan, which is the cue to summon another bout of nostalgia from a time when both were either kings or kingmakers. That it is a rivalry frozen in time is in keeping with the status of two counties who have had to endure – in Cork's case, eternally – the price of sharing a frontline border with the game's two great superpowers. Advertisement Every now and again they break free, but rarely do they do so together which made that half decade at the end of the 80s and at the start of the 90s as rare as it was special. Those in both counties desperate for history to rhyme once more might grasp at the few straws blowing in the wind. After all, Meath put Dublin to the sword earlier this month for the first time in 15 years while Cork were indisputably the better team against Kerry, but could not find a way to prosecute that truth where it mattered most. But let's not get carried away. Back in 2010 when Meath put five goals past Dublin on the way to their last Leinster title, Cork won the Sam Maguire but instead of history rhyming, they were merely two ships who did not even get to pass each other in the night. This time they are what they are; two teams at the bottom end of the Sam Maguire pack but this may be as close to a sudden death game of championship ball between them since Cork romped to a 10-point win in the 2007 All-Ireland semi-final. With Kerry in the same group, they still have a wild card to play for survival when they get to meet a Roscommon side weighed down by a regressive line of form since the end of March. In that sense, there is a definite second chance but this still feels like a far bigger game for Meath than Cork. That win over an injury-weakened and dozy Dublin feels more like an aberration in the weekends that have passed, not least given how the latter responded in Galway last weekend. More pointedly, that memory of Meath suffocating without the lifeline of possession in the final minutes of their defeat to Louth in the Leinster final jarred. Not so much fighting for the Leinster title as hoping that somehow it would fall their way, which is not a great look when you are about to head out in the All-Ireland series. Above all, what makes it so hard to invest any confidence in Meath is an appalling record against high-end teams over the past decade and a half. Prior to this month's win over Dublin, you had to go back to 2014 for the last time they beat a Division 1 team in Kildare in the championship, and before that, it was Galway in 2011. Depressingly, both Galway and Kildare were relegated out of the top flight in those two seasons. Okay, Cork may not boast a Division 1 postcode but they remain a team that can pack a punch when least expected, as both Mayo and, up until their visit to Páirc Uí Chaoimh, an undefeated Donegal found out over the past two championship summers. Of course, Robbie Brennan does not deserve his team to be condemned by the repeated failures which have preceded them. But there have been a couple of times this season when the stakes have been raised and his team have badly malfunctioned. An impressive run of four straight wins catapulted them into the Division 2 promotion frame, but the manner of their nine-point trimming by Monaghan hit the brakes on that in a game where they floundered terribly around the middle. Brennan has come up with a new-look midfield this season in Jack Flynn and the returned Bryan Menton, although it goes beyond that pair as the impressive auxiliary role played by Matthew Costello showed in that win over Dublin. However, when the expectation levels and the stakes are raised, as with Monaghan back in March, the manner in which Meath could not get their hands on the ball on their own restarts in the final quarter against Louth raises more questions, literally, about their head for heights. Related Reads Ciaran Kilkenny: as loyal as a Yeoman and as faithful to the Dublin cause And if there is one sector of the pitch in which Cork come equipped with the look of a serious team, it is around the middle where Cian O'Callaghan and Ian Maguire are more than just formidable. What fascinates is how Brennan responds to that final quarter blowout against Louth and it may well mean that he may have to roll the dice by reaching into the U20s, where the likes of the impressive midfielder Michael McIvor and impactful full-forward Jamie Murphy might get a call up. More than anything, it is a bigger game for Meath because they ended last season as a team that had run out of road and ideas under Colm O'Rourke, and they simply can't afford to go back there. The giddiness of beating Dublin was all well and good, but without a cup to show for it, the prospect of finishing rooted to the bottom of their group will make it harder to claim that they are rolling with the punches and getting better. These days, they simply don't have the chin to take those kinds of blows.
