Canadian artists fear backlash for speaking on Israel-Palestine
Canadian artists fear backlash for speaking on Israel-Palestine
Thousands signed petitions but many fear losing work or being labelled anti-Semitic
By Radheyan Simonpillai
Brennan Suche
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at Yonge-Dundas Square on May 22 to protest Israeli government actions in Gaza
Documentary filmmaker and activist John Greyson, writer Rinaldo Walcott, and musicians Mustafa and Broken Social Scene are among the Canadian artists who put their names to petitions showing unprecedented support for the Palestinian cause during Israel’s bombing campaign on Gaza last month.
But sustained pushback from pro-Israel groups still prevents many from speaking out for the fear of losing work or being labelled anti-Semitic.