Activists in one of Canada’s largest cities are urging the city council to brand Mississauga an “Apartheid-Free Zone” in solidarity with Palestinians.An Instagram post by @mississaugaforpalestine this week asked residents to email Mayor Carolyn Parrish and 11 councillors before a rally planned for Friday. .The template letter asks members of council to declare the city free of Israeli apartheid, raise the Palestinian flag at city hall, and press provincial and federal governments to recognize a Palestinian state..OLDCORN: From aprons to extremism? Traditional values are not ‘extremist’.The call to action is part of an international Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign that encourages unions, campuses, and municipalities to cut cultural and economic ties with Israel. In Canada, the BDS movement is promoted by grassroots organizations such as Independent Jewish Voices and Just Peace Advocates, which argue Israel’s treatment of Palestinians meets the legal definition of apartheid..Mississauga, home to what community leaders say is the country’s largest Palestinian population, has not tabled a motion on the request. A search of council agendas dating back a year shows no resolution on an “Apartheid-Free Zone.”.Abbotsford cancels permit for US Christian worship leader Sean Feucht’s concert.City hall has spent the past year highlighting its One Mississauga anti-racism program, a campaign that celebrates diversity while pledging to tackle hate locally. Along with the apartheid-free designation, organizers have issued four other demands, which are flying the Palestinian flag the way Mississauga raised the Ukrainian flag during Russia’s 2022 invasion, urging Ontario and Ottawa to “consistently uphold international law,” promising to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he comes to the city, and adopting language similar to a 2024 Catalan motion asserting Zionism is a form of racism..The pro-Hamas supporters say city councils wield “moral influence” even when foreign affairs sit outside their jurisdiction. Critics of the BDS movement contend such declarations unfairly single out Israel and risk fuelling antisemitism..OLDCORN: Looney Tunes Rachel Gilmore rails against Conservative MPs defending Christian artist Sean Feucht.Friday’s demonstration is scheduled for 6 p.m. EST outside of Mississauga City Hall. Organizers plan to submit collected letters to council ahead of the next meeting later in August.
