A Remembrance Day ceremony in Toronto at the Old City Hall is drawing backlash after two cadets delivered a land acknowledgment and brought up the topic of slavery at the start of proceedings.Toronto’s Chief of Protocol, Aretha Phillip, invited the cadets to the podium to recognize the traditional territories of the local indigenous peoples before the official ceremony commenced..In a video shared on X by Toronto Sun columnist Joe Warmington, the first cadet can be heard saying, “We acknowledge the land we are meeting on as the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and that it is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. The City also acknowledges that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit. We also acknowledge the Williams Treaties signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands.”A second cadet stepped up to the podium and added: “We acknowledge all treaty peoples, including those who came here as settlers or migrants, either this generation or generations past, and those who came here involuntarily, particularly those brought to these lands as a result of the transatlantic slave trade and slavery.”.Immediately after, a man in the crowd can be heard shouting, “Load of horses**t” and “We’re here to honour the glorious war dead.”A video shared on X by journalist and lawyer Caryma Sa’d shows the man being followed out by Toronto police officers while he peacefully left the ceremony as the crowd sang O Canada..On social media, commenters were overwhelmingly in support of the man, citing his patriotism and framing it as a defence of freedom of expression, with one X user saying, “This man is a patriot for vocally opposing the divisive inclusion of politics at a time of solemn reflection. His disruption is less disrespectful than the inclusion of a freaking slavery acknowledgment. More people should have done the same.”Another said, “Good on him for speaking up! The City of Toronto should be ashamed of itself for doing our country and our veterans such a disservice.”“My grandfather, who served, no longer attends services on Remembrance Day because of this garbage,” another commenter added.
