Support Your Right to Speak about Canada’s Foreign Policy on Syria
Some people think that Canadians should not be able to discuss Canadian foreign policy.
Last week, we learned that some individuals had attempted to shut down Eva Bartlett’s talk at New Vision United Church, and at McMaster.
New Vision United Church believes in free speech and fair play, and the talk is continuing. A larger venue is now being sought at McMaster.
Eva Bartlett is a long-time Palestine solidarity activist from Fergus, Ontario, who has covered Gaza extensively, and reported on Operation Cast Lead in 2014. She has spoken and presented in Hamilton.
She has become world renowned for her more recent work on Syria. Eva has visited Syria six times, and has recently visited high-profile conflict zones such as Aleppo. She is a valued commentator on Syria: her exchanges with opposition-supporting journalists and speakers at the UN and on television have been viewed by more than 1.5 million people on Facebook alone.
Eva is considered by many around the world, and in Canada, as a valuable eyewitness in Syria.
We have a right to hear from a journalist Hamiltonians have worked with since 2008.
Unfortunately, some individuals do not understand, or care, that we live in a liberal democracy in which Canadians are allowed to discuss their foreign policy at public events.
We will not be prevented from hearing why Eva feels that Canada should not support regime change in Syria.
We will not be intimidated by those who wish to prevent one single voice from being heard against a corporate mainstream that support’s Canada’s destructive Syria policy.
We will proceed with the events in Hamilton. We invite those who believe in democracy to attend.