Conservatives raise spectre of terrorist group involvement in highway shut down
- Thread starter mariomike
- Start date
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 110
I agree with what everyone else thinks on this one. Tamil Tigers keeping civilians from fleeing and using human shields just like the Talibs in Swat. I think if someone flies a Tamil Tigers flag in Canada they should be arrested and sent to an island for being part of a terrorist organization. We don't have a Gitmo prison in Cuba maybe we can sent them to Newfoundland.
Watch out for hunting season where bright cloths.
Watch out for hunting season where bright cloths.
- Reaction score
- 1,471
- Points
- 1,260
X-mo-1979 said:
Worshippers blame Toronto temple arson on Tamil Tiger supporters
Last Updated: Saturday, May 16, 2009 | 6:06 PM ET CBC News
The Maha Vihara Buddhist Meditation Centre, the temple for several thousand Toronto Buddhists of Sri Lankan origin was hit by what fire investigators are calling an arson attack early Saturday morning. Three monks, including one shown in photo, were sleeping in an adjacent building but no one was hurt. (Mike Crawley/CBC)The civil war in Sri Lanka is being linked to a fire — that investigators are calling arson — early Saturday in Toronto.
It happened at the Maha Vihara Buddhist Meditation Centre in the city's east end frequented by worshippers of Sinhalese descent, who pointed the finger at local supporters of the Tamil Tigers.
"The door is damaged and the floor is damaged and the curio cabinet is damaged ... and then the spirit is damaged, that's the most important thing," temple vice-president Bandara Senaviratna told CBC News.
The smell of smoke lingered in the air and yellow police tape surrounded the wooden temple Saturday afternoon. The remnants of the fire included the charred base of a cabinet holding religious artifacts sitting on the grass.
Investigators said someone broke into the temple around 4:30 Saturday morning, spread an accelerant on the floor and the outside walls and lit the fire.
Crews extinguished it before it could spread to an adjacent building where three resident monks were sleeping.
Consul general blames Tamil Tigers
Investigators have not yet determined who is responsible, but Sri Lanka's consul general in Toronto blamed it on local supporters of the Tamil Tigers.
"It's very clear there's nobody else who would cause it ...," said Bandula Jayasekara.
"There's a mafia here, I would say. Tamil Tiger Incorporated. It's a temple. It's a place of religious worship. People come here to pray with children. So if they could burn this, they could do anything. "
The temple, less than 10 years old, welcomes all Buddhists but most of its devotees are people of Sri Lankan origin from the Sinhalese ethnic majority.
Dozens of them stopped at the site Saturday, shaking their heads at what they consider a violation of a sacred place.
"This is not just in Canada," said Chaturi Dissa. "It's not only this temple, the temple in Holland, France and England has been attacked. So it's kind of a pattern.
"These were other countries that had mass protests on the Sri Lankan issue and there's no other reason why the temple should be attacked."
However, one of the youth leaders of recent Tamil protests that have blocked roads in downtown Toronto insisted no one in her community would resort to arson.
"We've been very peaceful in our demonstrations and we would never go that far," said Aranee Muru.
Police are appealing for anyone with information about the fire to come forward.
.......................................END STORY.............................................
agenteagle said:
I hope you're joking.
We have a freedom of conscience and expression here for a reason. I don't approve of the way they've been protesting, but waving a flag should NEVER be grounds for the state to infringe on an individual's rights. Suppression of freedom of expression is far too slippery a slope for us to risk it. I've read the charter back to front many times, and nowhere does it say you or I have the right to not be offended. If someone wants to walk around with a LTTE flag, a Swastika armband or a Toronto Maple Leafs Jersey, they may be tasteless and stupid, but they have the right to be so long as no harm is done to another. End of story.
I won't even start on arbitrary detention or extra judicial prisons.
Those who provide material support to terrorist organizations deserve the utmost punishment of the law. But waving a flag and pissing people off is not terrorism- that term has been far too often twisted and abused to justify the revocation of rights and liberties that our society should be defending far more vehemently than it is.
- Reaction score
- 3
- Points
- 430
Link
POLICING
Hail to the chief for his deft handling of the Tamil protests
JOHN BARBER
May 16, 2009
jbarber@globeandmail.com
Do you remember where you were when the Tamils closed the roads? I was driving north up Spadina, just off the Gardiner, and nimbly deked west in time to avoid a six-hour jam. The rest I forget - as will, soon enough, everybody else with a similar story of minor inconvenience.
To admit as much is to make the highest possible commendation of the Toronto Police Service under Chief Bill Blair. Their triumph is that nothing much happened. Masterful policing turned a potentially tragic confrontation into an easily forgettable blur of flags and crowds.
Nothing happened, but it was no accident.
Would that have been the case had current Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Julian Fantino still been leading the Toronto force? While Chief Blair mediated on the ground, his officers steadily retreating in the face of surging crowds, Mr. Fantino took to the airwaves to denounce demonstrators for "compromising the rights of law-abiding and respectful people."
"There comes a time when peace, order and respect for the law has to prevail," he said.
The sainted Highway Traffic Act was under attack by known terrorist sympathizers, and the former Toronto chief made his preferred response clear. There was a howl of editorials and commentary backing him up, demanding the demonstrators' forcible removal from the streets.
But that too is now forgettable. No mayor or premier phoned any police chief demanding he get those freakin' Tamils off the highway. We are lucky that today's authorities still remember Ipperwash, the disputed park where unprovoked provincial police shot protester Dudley George dead in 1995. Restraint throughout the Tamil protests ensured that "Gardiner" remains merely the name of a road and nothing more.
The Gardiner confrontation was the crux - the one potential Ipperwash moment, which demonstrators appeared to welcome with a crazy decision to put themselves and others in obvious danger. That's when Toronto's finest - led by half a dozen constables on bicycles - "cracked down," telling the demonstrators to leave the highway. Which they did.
Would they have done the same after a week's worth of bruising confrontation with law and order? Given the desperate passion of the demonstrators, the answer is likely no. Chief Blair's controversial decision to tolerate earlier traffic snarls and minor lawbreaking was vindicated when the crowd dispersed.
Treated with respect, the demonstrators acted respectfully. What a concept.
Not that the indignant motorists noticed. Maybe they were too busy ignoring the ongoing inquiry into the death of Robert Dziekanski at the hands of the disgraceful RCMP. That's another name that will survive. But it would never be known had that poor unfortunate encountered the Toronto police instead.
The Tamil protests show what would have happened had Chief Blair been in charge. Mr. Dziekanski would have had plenty of time to pitch the stapler, kick a desk and scream in anger. As long as nobody was seriously threatened, the police would have held back, letting the tantrum play out.
They might have locked down that section of the airport until it was safe to handle him, speculates Anthony Doob, professor of criminology at the University of Toronto. "The other passengers may have been a little pissed off at police because they would have been a little inconvenienced. But no one would have been dead."
Nobody died on the Gardiner Expressway, no ambulances were delayed by crowds on University Avenue. And in the end, despite all the horn-honking in favour of the Rule of Law, nobody had the nerve to criticize lenient Chief Bill Blair. Instead they directed their ire at his supposed political masters - a diversion that implicitly acknowledged the masterful policing playing out before their eyes.
But there is only one guy in charge, and he did us proud.
POLICING
Hail to the chief for his deft handling of the Tamil protests
JOHN BARBER
May 16, 2009
jbarber@globeandmail.com
Do you remember where you were when the Tamils closed the roads? I was driving north up Spadina, just off the Gardiner, and nimbly deked west in time to avoid a six-hour jam. The rest I forget - as will, soon enough, everybody else with a similar story of minor inconvenience.
To admit as much is to make the highest possible commendation of the Toronto Police Service under Chief Bill Blair. Their triumph is that nothing much happened. Masterful policing turned a potentially tragic confrontation into an easily forgettable blur of flags and crowds.
Nothing happened, but it was no accident.
Would that have been the case had current Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Julian Fantino still been leading the Toronto force? While Chief Blair mediated on the ground, his officers steadily retreating in the face of surging crowds, Mr. Fantino took to the airwaves to denounce demonstrators for "compromising the rights of law-abiding and respectful people."
"There comes a time when peace, order and respect for the law has to prevail," he said.
The sainted Highway Traffic Act was under attack by known terrorist sympathizers, and the former Toronto chief made his preferred response clear. There was a howl of editorials and commentary backing him up, demanding the demonstrators' forcible removal from the streets.
But that too is now forgettable. No mayor or premier phoned any police chief demanding he get those freakin' Tamils off the highway. We are lucky that today's authorities still remember Ipperwash, the disputed park where unprovoked provincial police shot protester Dudley George dead in 1995. Restraint throughout the Tamil protests ensured that "Gardiner" remains merely the name of a road and nothing more.
The Gardiner confrontation was the crux - the one potential Ipperwash moment, which demonstrators appeared to welcome with a crazy decision to put themselves and others in obvious danger. That's when Toronto's finest - led by half a dozen constables on bicycles - "cracked down," telling the demonstrators to leave the highway. Which they did.
Would they have done the same after a week's worth of bruising confrontation with law and order? Given the desperate passion of the demonstrators, the answer is likely no. Chief Blair's controversial decision to tolerate earlier traffic snarls and minor lawbreaking was vindicated when the crowd dispersed.
Treated with respect, the demonstrators acted respectfully. What a concept.
Not that the indignant motorists noticed. Maybe they were too busy ignoring the ongoing inquiry into the death of Robert Dziekanski at the hands of the disgraceful RCMP. That's another name that will survive. But it would never be known had that poor unfortunate encountered the Toronto police instead.
The Tamil protests show what would have happened had Chief Blair been in charge. Mr. Dziekanski would have had plenty of time to pitch the stapler, kick a desk and scream in anger. As long as nobody was seriously threatened, the police would have held back, letting the tantrum play out.
They might have locked down that section of the airport until it was safe to handle him, speculates Anthony Doob, professor of criminology at the University of Toronto. "The other passengers may have been a little pissed off at police because they would have been a little inconvenienced. But no one would have been dead."
Nobody died on the Gardiner Expressway, no ambulances were delayed by crowds on University Avenue. And in the end, despite all the horn-honking in favour of the Rule of Law, nobody had the nerve to criticize lenient Chief Bill Blair. Instead they directed their ire at his supposed political masters - a diversion that implicitly acknowledged the masterful policing playing out before their eyes.
But there is only one guy in charge, and he did us proud.
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 60
Brihard said:
I can agree with the comment about the flag, but isn't there a rule somewhere against intentional public disruption? It's one thing to block a sidewalk outside a tobacco company headquarters, it's quite another to blockade a major artery in the economic powerhouse of the country. Especially over something the country has no power over. What do they expect us to do? It's not like we can drop our few remaining combat troops off there as peacekeepers (like that would do any good anyways), or physically fight off the domestic Sri lankian army to protect the remaining tigers over there. It's not legal, it's not moral, it's not our fight.
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 110
I was joking about the sending of flag wavers to Gitmo style prisons but it amazes me people think waving a terrorist group's flag on OUR streets should be allowed. The Government has placed the Tamil Tigers on the list of illegal terrorist organizations.
Brihard I don't think people should be allowed to promote terrorism which waving a flag and showing support does. Not to mention disrupting commerce. Maybe fines and taking away the flags should be the response but doing nothing should not be tolerated.
It is sad because the demonstration to outline human rights issues was tarnished by the presence of the LTTE flags.
Oh and last I check the maples leafs are not a terrorist organization and as a Leafs fan I wouldn't even put my bitter rivals the Sens in that category.
Brihard I don't think people should be allowed to promote terrorism which waving a flag and showing support does. Not to mention disrupting commerce. Maybe fines and taking away the flags should be the response but doing nothing should not be tolerated.
It is sad because the demonstration to outline human rights issues was tarnished by the presence of the LTTE flags.
Oh and last I check the maples leafs are not a terrorist organization and as a Leafs fan I wouldn't even put my bitter rivals the Sens in that category.
The Leafs comment was just intended to lighten things up.
I'm a VERY ardent supporter of free expression. It's not something I feel we as a nation can afford to let the government infringe. As long as there's not specific incitement to commit a criminal act, I feel that people have an inviolable right to say the stupidest things that come into their head. Id much rather they NOT wave LTTE flags, but if we decide to ban those, then where does the line get drawn? And how long til it gets pushed a little farther? I put it in the same category as those atrocious Mohammed cartoons that started the whole brouhaha between Ezra Levant and the human rights commission. The cartoons were in extremely poor taste, but in reprinting them he at least asserted the freedom of expression.
Waving an LTTE flag causes no harm that would justify a broad, categorical infringement of freedom of speech. It's a shame the protesters are compromising their own cause by waving them, but that's their problem. They can self-police their behaviour if they want us to take their message seriously.
I'm a VERY ardent supporter of free expression. It's not something I feel we as a nation can afford to let the government infringe. As long as there's not specific incitement to commit a criminal act, I feel that people have an inviolable right to say the stupidest things that come into their head. Id much rather they NOT wave LTTE flags, but if we decide to ban those, then where does the line get drawn? And how long til it gets pushed a little farther? I put it in the same category as those atrocious Mohammed cartoons that started the whole brouhaha between Ezra Levant and the human rights commission. The cartoons were in extremely poor taste, but in reprinting them he at least asserted the freedom of expression.
Waving an LTTE flag causes no harm that would justify a broad, categorical infringement of freedom of speech. It's a shame the protesters are compromising their own cause by waving them, but that's their problem. They can self-police their behaviour if they want us to take their message seriously.
Similar threads
