Protest over film screening

By Emma Prestwich

News Editor

Protesters occupied three corners of Church and Gould Streets Tuesday evening.

Around fifteen members of the Jewish Defence League, among others, stood outside the George Vari Engineering Building, to protest the screening of the film ‘Jaffa, the Orange’s Clockwork’, an event  that was part of Israeli Apartheid Week.

Protesters waved Israeli flags and held posters that read ‘Stop Islamic State-Sanctioned Gender Apartheid’ , depicting an Iranian woman being stoned.

Meir Weinstein, national director of the Defense League’s Canadian branch,  said he thought the event demonized Israel while ignoring the “savagery” that happens in Islamic countries.

“It’s beyond a double standard, to apply a certain standard to Israel,” he said. “It denies basic fundamental truths.”

Apartheid Week organizer William Nakhid said counter-protesters generally come to their events, trying to intimidate people as they enter.

“We’re trying to carry out our work inside,” he said. “This is something that we do, regardless of counter-protest.”

He also denied that the legal definition of apartheid was confined to South Africa.

“We think that calling it Israeli Apartheid Week reflects the reality of the situation.”

The Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) sponsored the event.