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April 22, 2009

Seen on the Hill: Jack Layton addresses the Tamil rally

From the Ottawa Citizen:

The red Tamil flag, with its tiger head and crossed rifles, had been a source of controversy during the protest, which is now in its third week. The protesters decided to leave the flags at home on Tuesday in a bid to have Canadian MPs hear their message.

Federal politicians have so far kept their distance from the protesters, nervous about the optics of being associated with protesters waving a flag identified with terrorism.

“The majority of people have made a collective decision to hold their flags in their hearts and minds, and not display them publicly,” Sentha Nada, a demonstrator from Toronto, said of Tuesday’s demonstration on the Hill.

Here’s some more background

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China Tour

Jack Layton is already publicly on record declaring his support for the Tigers " liberation struggle" and comparing their leader Prabhakaran to Nelson Mandela during his attendance at a Tamil rally in Toronto last summer. Is this true, can't believe it.

Faramir

I learned today we have 250,000 Tamils in Canada. WTF? Do we even have that many aboriginals? That is collective insansity. Do we let anyone in this country who claims refugee status?

Omanator

The Liberals certainly did. As long as they voted Liberals. Now they howl their objections if this Government
bars some undesirables.

dupmar

Jack Layton is already publicly on record declaring his support for the Tigers " liberation struggle" and comparing their leader Prabhakaran to Nelson Mandela during his attendance at a Tamil rally in Toronto last summer. He was a little more guarded with his endorsement this time around. He likewise has to think of his own political constituency and the real world domestic economic problems they face, and not alienate his own political constituency by going off tilting at windmills and beating the drum for some foreign "liberation struggle" in the hope of luring attention from a Tamil constituency already wed to the Liberals.

MaryT

Read the NP article and some of the comments. I have to wonder if these protesters are the immigrants we let into our country (under the liberals) are the ones that wouldn't have been allowed into the USA. And didn't a couple of of those terrorists surrender today.

Omanator

As I have said before the Tamils actions are backfiring big time. People are aware that the cost for policiing etc will have to be borne by the taxpayer. As many others have said before, I too suspect involvement by the Liberals.
In fact the Tamils have promised the Liberal 7 seats in the next election. But they have set a precedent and we can expect now other organization doing the same thing. I doubt that Jack will gain any seats through this. They are solidly behind the Liberals. After all it was the Liberals who let them all come into the country.

Soccermom

Just doin' a little recruitin' for candidates, that Jack.

Carson Clay

At least we know where Jack and Stephen stand. One showed up, the other did not. Iggy wants to have it both ways, sending an emissary to show support for Tamil Tigers, but not be seen with a terrorist group.