Calgary says no to hate

Rabbi Israel Miller of the House of Jacob-Mikveh Israel Synagogue

About 500 Calgarians of all cultures and ethnicities gathered at the Boyce Theatre on the Stampede Grounds to attend the Calgary Says NO to Hate Rally. The crowd braved a chilly evening on November 25th to hear various noteworthy speakers talk about the need for Calgarians to stand up to racism and hate crimes.

The event was sparked by acts of vandalism that targeted the city's Jewish community. The Calgary Jewish Centre, the Chabad Lubavitch Centre, the House of Jacob-Mikveh Israel Synagogue and the Holocaust war memorial were among the Jewish institutions that were vandalized with swastikas and graffiti. These acts are now being investigated by Calgary Police as a hate crime.

The rally was sponsored by the Calgary Jewish Community Council but was attended by representatives from most of Calgary's diverse population.

The event began with the singing of Oh Canada and featured speeches from prominent individuals in Calgary and from the rest of Alberta. Ruth Ramsden-Wood, President & CEO of the United Way of Calgary and Area, told the crowd, "We are all members of the Jewish community tonight." Al Redford Deputy Chief Calgary of the Calgary Police Service echoed her sentiment and told the crowd, "Hate crimes are not like other crimes; they affect not only the target community but the whole community."

Lindsay Blackett, Minister of Culture and Community spirit; Blair Mason, Chief Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission and Brian Pincott, Deputy Mayor of Calgary were among the other many noteworthy people who addressed the crowd.