Gazette coverage contorted

It seems there were two different rallies marking Israel’s birthday on May 7: the one that I attended and the one that was covered by the Gazette.

During the one that I was present for, about 2,000 participants gathered at Dorchester Square waving Israeli flags, while across the street stood a small group of counter-demonstrators consisting of about a dozen black-garbed anti-Zionist Jews and their Palestinian supporters. A burly man from the pro-Israel rally ran towards them and attempted to tear away a placard that read, “Judaism Yes, Zionism No,” almost knocking the frail-looking Orthodox Jew to the ground. A middle-aged woman with her face contorted by rage began shrieking repeatedly, “You should be dead!” to the group, which included three or four of their children. Dozens from the pro-Israel rally soon joined her and encircled the anti-Zionists while screaming obscenities.

Seeing that violence was almost imminent, the riot police intervened, escorting the counter-demonstrators towards an underground garage by the edge of the park. As they were led downstairs, members of the pro-Israel rally gathered on both sides at the top of the stairs, furiously spitting and shouting insults. When the shaken group made it to the safety of the underground parking lot—where one helmeted policeman expressed disgust at being covered with spit—the leading rabbi of the anti-Zionists thanked the police for their protection, and everyone eventually dispersed.

This is what Gazette readers learned the next day (May 8): “Pro-Israel rally targeted,” screamed the front-page headline. According to the Can-West reporter, an “ugly confrontation” took place and the riot police intervened—not after a mob crossed the street and assaulted the peaceful protesters—but after “the two groups came face-to-face.” A photograph showed the anti-Zionists on the stairs (where they were showered with spit by Israel’s supporters) with the following caption: “Pro-Palestinian supporters gesture yesterday while being escorted away by riot police.”

This is “reporting,” Asper-style.

» John Dirlik

Re: Tardif

Your piece by C. Grovernor [sic] in last week’s issue on Michelle Tardif was pathetic [Kristian Perspective, May 15]. What was the point? It was not even accurate in the simplest details.

Tardif’s father died when she was a child, not in 1987 when she came back from Libya. The slag piece I wrote on her in ’99 was at least a personal perspective of a misguided person who met a tragic-but-accurate end to who she was and how she lived her life.

Running fragmented lamentations like Grovernor’s are obviously things the Montreal media seems to do after their weekly content meetings held at the local bar?

» Demetri Estdelacropolis

Police force puritanism

Yet another raid on a gay bar in Montreal, this time the male strip bar Taboo on May 9. It seems to me that if we can decriminalize pot possession we can do the same for public sex acts. Quebecers are a sexually liberal and tolerant people who do not need to live in fear of a self-righteous, puritanical police force.

It’s always the same line of reasoning: just responding to complaints or that the establishment in question was forewarned. We know this is not true. Having been in a raid years ago and watching the smugness and arrogance of the squad doing their duty for “her majesty,” I know first hand there is more than just a seed of intolerance.

Victimless crimes do not require such heavy-handed tactics. Montreal has dangerous criminals, dangerous drivers and many more serious crimes than public sex acts between consenting adults. Canada’s bawdyhouse laws are an outdated remnant of the Victorian era. Montreal’s morality squad should follow the example of other major cities around the world where sex acts in some clubs and bars are tolerated because, if nothing else, they keep it off the streets and out of public parks and washrooms.

» Ron Harris

Don’t blame hip hop

First of all I’d like to say how much I love the Mirror and enjoy reading it every week. One of my favourite features is People. That Chris Barry dude does a good job of adding humour to the interviews. But I’m rather disturbed by a comment made by the skinny dude being profiled in last week’s edition [People, May 15]. They asked him a question about what is making life increasingly difficult for teenagers and the idiot was on about hip hop culture and how it promotes sexual objectification.

What the fuck do you know about hip hop culture? If you think hip hop culture is the only thing making teenagers present themselves in a sexual manner or for making them highly extravagant, then you’re very unintelligent. Player! When was the last time you opened a newspaper or a magazine, watched television or saw an advertisement on a billboard? How much hip hop culture is in those things? Not much if you ask me. But there is a lot of other shit there that peer pressures kids to act a certain way.

» Ayanda Dube

Born-again BOM

Excuse me, but I didn’t see a category of, for example, Best Church or Best Gospel Choir in your Best of Montreal issue [May 8]. My best church nominations would both be francophone: Nouvelle Église in Longueuil or the one on Papineau.

Most born-again Christians would nary have a passing fancy on much of the Montreal scene but would get excited by a new Christian book and music store in the neighbourhood.

» Paul Lind

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