Head of B.C. civil liberties group resigns following 'burn it all down' tweet'
SILENCED BY RIGHT WING CANCEL CULTURE
Harsha Walia made the tweet two weeks in response to the torching of Catholic churches after the discovery of unmarked graves at former residential schools
Author of the article: Cheryl Chan
Harsha Walia made the tweet two weeks in response to the torching of Catholic churches after the discovery of unmarked graves at former residential schools
IT'S BETTER TO TAX THE CHURCHES THEN TO TORCH THEM
Author of the article: Cheryl Chan
Publishing date: Jul 17, 2021 •
Harsha Walia, B.C. activist and author of Border & Rule: Global Migration, Capitalism, and the Rise of Racist Nationalism. PHOTO BY CAELIE FRAMPTON /PNG
The head of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association has resigned following a controversial social media post.
The BCCLA announced the resignation of Harsha Walia on Friday, two weeks after she tweeted “burn it all down” in response to the torching of Catholic churches following the discovery of unmarked graves at former residential schools.
In a message posted to its website, the BCCLA’s board of directors said Walia’s tweet, posted from her personal account, failed to convey the organization’s message.
“Using a particular turn of phrase in that context left some people with the wrong impression about the values and principles to which we adhere,” it said. “We regret the misunderstanding that was caused by the tweet and apologize for the harm the words caused.”
The organization said it received numerous hateful responses after Walia’s tweet, fuelled by the fact Walia is a woman and a person of colour. Walia and staff were exposed to racism, misogyny and threats, it said.
The board said Walia demonstrated “bold, skilful and compassionate leadership” during the pandemic, and that she worked to strengthen the BCCLA’s policy positions on policing, Indigenous self-determination and immigration.
Walia was named executive director of the BCCLA in January 2020. She was a well-known activist involved with No One Is Illegal, a group that worked to protect the rights of undocumented immigrants, and the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre.
The head of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association has resigned following a controversial social media post.
The BCCLA announced the resignation of Harsha Walia on Friday, two weeks after she tweeted “burn it all down” in response to the torching of Catholic churches following the discovery of unmarked graves at former residential schools.
In a message posted to its website, the BCCLA’s board of directors said Walia’s tweet, posted from her personal account, failed to convey the organization’s message.
“Using a particular turn of phrase in that context left some people with the wrong impression about the values and principles to which we adhere,” it said. “We regret the misunderstanding that was caused by the tweet and apologize for the harm the words caused.”
The organization said it received numerous hateful responses after Walia’s tweet, fuelled by the fact Walia is a woman and a person of colour. Walia and staff were exposed to racism, misogyny and threats, it said.
The board said Walia demonstrated “bold, skilful and compassionate leadership” during the pandemic, and that she worked to strengthen the BCCLA’s policy positions on policing, Indigenous self-determination and immigration.
Walia was named executive director of the BCCLA in January 2020. She was a well-known activist involved with No One Is Illegal, a group that worked to protect the rights of undocumented immigrants, and the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre.
No comments:
Post a Comment