With red paint
A York University professor who wrote an award-winning book on the use of direct action in protest movements is among 11 people facing criminal charges in the defacing of a bookstore with red paint and accusations its Jewish founder supports genocide. Toronto Police have described the bookstore defacing as motivated by hate.
Lesley J. Wood, an associate professor, who chaired the university’s sociology department from 2017 to 2021, was charged this week with mischief over $5,000 and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence by Toronto Police. The allegations relate to red paint thrown on doors and windows at the Bay-Bloor outlet of Indigo, Canada’s largest bookstore chain, and posters depicting its founder and chief executive officer, Heather Reisman, on a fake book cover entitled Funding Genocide.
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The incident at Indigo sent shock waves through the Jewish community, said Bernie Farber, founding chair of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network.
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But pro-Palestinian activists said it was aimed at highlighting Ms. Reisman’s support of Israel, including her co-founding a scholarship fund for foreign soldiers who enlist in Israel’s army. Rachel Small, a member of the Jews Say No To Genocide Coalition, knows some of the accused and said groups of police officers broke open the doors of homes before dawn and arrested some individuals in front of their children. She called it an attempt to intimidate the protesters.
But they aren’t just protesters. They also (allegedly) vandalized the bookstore. Throwing paint over shop windows is not just protest.
So,it’s possible that Canadian police do things differently, but this whole “they arrested people in front of their CHILDREN!” wailing really irks me.
I mean, it’s fine to argue that, as a general matter, police should avoid doing that and give people an opportunity to turn themselves in voluntarily unless there’s a public safety or other concern. But I get really sick of people finding selective outrage when they discover the normal operations of the criminal justice system. This is something we’ve seen a lot from the right with the January 6 and Trump prosecutions — lots of dismay that people get arrested and handcuffed and perp-walked and fingerprinted and sometimes denied bail, and that jail and prison are not luxurious, but only because these things are now happening to people they sympathize with. It’s not any better a look when it comes from the left.
The subtext is always that perhaps that sort of thing is fine for the REAL criminals, but not those people who, you know, committed crimes for reasons you find admirable.
Not to de-rail or anything (and I’m open to being told to shut up by at least half the commentariat) but “co-founding a scholarship fund for foreign soldiers who enlist in Israel’s army” is kinda icky. The accusation of dual-loyalties is a pernicious trope but when it’s kinda true, it’s unpleasant to think of.
Doesn’t make antisemitic vandalism (or any sort of vandalism) ok or worth sympathizing with obviously.
Not by me! I agree with what you say.
I’d agree too, BKiSK. I don’t like the Israeli army or the Netanyahu government. And Heather Reisman’s political activities should not be exempt from discussion or criticism.
It’s just the optics of this particular protest look bad. Vandalising a Jewish-owned business looks like bigotry, not legitimate protest.
The IDF has a program, Mahal, that allows Jews who are foreign nationals to enlist on a “tourist” basis. There are different tracks depending on Hebrew facility and religious sect. It is part of Israel’s “Law of Return”. I have serious reservations about Law of Return and the tremendous preferences afforded Jews in Israel, but, given that it exists, it doesn’t surprise me that this Mahal program exists.
I revise my opinion, it was a legitimate target if you discount the illegal activity. Illegal activities still can’t be countenanced though. Recruiting mercenaries for a foreign government seems not to be illegal.
BKiSA, that’s a fair point about the dual loyalty. It’s certainly not antisemitic to discuss that if framed correctly. After all, the iRA received significant funding and logistical support from ‘Irish Americans’ back in the day and I’m sure there are other examples, both widespread and individual. I think it’s one thing to carry a certain fondness for the country your ancestors are from, and another to take active steps to advance that group’s/country’s geopolitical policies. I know in the US there is a Federal law requiring people undertaking actions on behalf of foreign governments to register as an agent of that government. Quite when that becomes applicable I don’t know, but people do seem to get prosecuted for failing to have done so.
I think it is worth noting that Israel has a program facilitating any Jewish person (several categories) moving to Israel, and a similar program facilitating such people joining the military, either temporarily or as part of immigrating. The difference between this program and simply recruiting any willing mercenary to join a war effort seem important. Israel is not, to my knowledge, recruiting mercenaries, especially not non-Jewish ones. I’d imagine a fair number of American evangelical Christians might be interested in joining, but that isn’t how the program works.