Activism and BDS Beat
19 May 2016
A bill to blacklist supporters of the Palestinian boycott, divestment and sanctions movement was handily defeated in the parliament of Ontario on Thursday.
Lawmakers in Canada’s most populous province rejected it by 39 votes to 18 after a debate in which the bill’s supporters falsely accused the BDS movement of encouraging 1930s-style boycotts of Jewish-owned businesses in Europe and tried to tie Palestine solidarity activism to attacks by suspected Islamist militants in France.
Civil liberties defenders are celebrating the result as a victory for free speech.
Ontario’s centrist Liberal Party government and the center-left New Democratic Party (NDP) joined forces against the legislation.
The bill was sponsored by Progressive Conservative Tim Hudak and Liberal Michael Colle.
Hudak told parliament he hoped the bill – the first of its kind in Canada – would be emulated by other provinces and the federal government.
Continue
No comments:
Post a Comment