Anti-vaccine gathering at Holocaust monument disgusting, says human rights group
Story by CBC/Radio-Canada
A human rights organization is condemning a recent rally near the National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa, saying it dishonours the memory of the six million Jews killed by Nazi Germany during the Second World War.
Video posted online of the April 2 gathering shows a few dozen people with flags and signs associated with various conspiracy theories protesting in front of the Canadian War Museum.
They then cross the street and wander through the austere monument.
Several carry placards with anti-vaccine messages, while people can be heard comparing the plight of Jews during the Holocaust to the restrictions unvaccinated Canadians faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We're disgusted and frustrated by the comparison, but unfortunately we're not surprised," said Dan Panneton, director of allyship and community engagement with the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center.
"What's so particularly offensive about this is that they're comparing something like not being able to go to the movies for a few months to things like the mobile killing squads or the gas chambers at Auschwitz."
The National Holocaust Monument is seen in this file photo.© Francis Ferland/CBC
No arrests, tickets
The footage posted online shows a low-key gathering, with police officers present on the scene. Officers did not arrest or ticket anyone involved, an Ottawa Police Service spokesperson told CBC.
The Holocaust is humanity's "dominant moral metaphor," Panneton said. And while people have certainly compared their personal suffering with its victims before, that's escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.
Part of the reason is there are fewer survivors left to provide first-hand testimony about the Holocaust's horrific reality, Panneton said.
"There's fewer, fewer witnesses by the years, so it's easier to present distorted views of what actually happened," he said.
The rally also included a flag referencing Jewish billionaire philanthropist George Soros, who is often the subject of various conspiracy theories where he's seen as a one-world mastermind.
CBC reached out to the person who posted the video on social media, but did not hear back in time for publication.
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