The president of Ontario’s public workers union, Fred Hahn, was a guest speaker at an anti-Israel rally where Taliban flags, images glorifying Hamas’ recently eliminated leadership, and other symbols associated with terrorism were present.
At the rally on Sunday at the US Consulate building in Toronto, Hahn gave an impassioned speech on behalf of CUPE Ontario. He affirmed his union’s commitment to the Boycott Divest Sanction movement against Israel, called for the arrest of Israel’s president Benjamin Netanyahu and said he was answering the calls of “Palestinian trade unionists” for solidarity.
In his speech, Hahn stated that the public workers union has been “on the side of Palestinian liberation” since 2006 when his union became the first in Canada to join the BDS movement and that his group has devoted resources and time to “educating” its members on the history of the “Israel occupation and colonization of Palestine.”
He said he represents thousands of public employees who he claims all “proudly and unequivocally” demand a cease-fire, an arms embargo against Israel and “decolonization” of the region. During his speech, Hahn did not call for a return of the nearly 100 hostages still held by Hamas or condemn actions done by terrorist entities against Israel.
In August, Hahn was asked to resign by CUPE’s national executive committee, which stated they had lost confidence in Hahn’s ability to represent the union’s members following a slew of anti-Israel social media posts.
Hahn is also embroiled in a human rights complaint by twenty-five Jewish members of CUPE Ontario for similar rhetoric.
“As the largest union in Canada, our members have decided to do this, but we did it in part because of a call from Palestinian trade unionists for solidarity as workers,” Hahn said at the rally, “When workers in any part of the world call on our solidarity, we must be there with them!”
There are six documented unions in Gaza and the West Bank, each representing public workers. The public sector of Gaza is controlled by Hamas, the listed terrorist entity recognized by Canada responsible for the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel.
When asked which Palestinian unions CUPE Ontario was answering to, a representative from the Ontario union did not respond to True North’s requests for information.
As documented by independent journalist and lawyer Caryma S’ad, and X user “Leviathan,” several images glorifying terrorist entities such as Hamas and its leadership were brandished by demonstrators at the protest.
“Yahya Sinwar – 100% Legend,” one sign with the eliminated Hamas leader’s face said.
“Jadala under siege,” Another sign with an image of the terrorist leader’s corpse next to an image of him alive said. “He lived as a leader. He died as a soldier.”
Another protester held a sign featuring an inverted red triangle, a symbol used in Hamas propaganda videos depicting the killing of Israeli soldiers, comparing Sinwar to black civil rights figure Malcolm X.
“From Malcolm X to Yahya Sinwar, heroes become legends and legends become Immortal,” the sign said.
Sa’d shared an image from the protest as well of a woman in a keffiyeh, a headscarf which has been used as a symbol of solidarity with anti-Israel combatants, wielding a Taliban flag.
The Taliban is a listed terrorist entity in Canada. According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, 165 Canadians died during the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan. 158 Canadian Armed Forces members and seven Canadian civilians died during the war. More than 2000 members of the CAF were wounded or injured during the war against the terrorist group.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan changed its flag to the Taliban flag after the terrorist group took control of the country following the end of the 2001-2021 war in Afghanistan.
During a brief interview by Sa’d’s videographer with the woman, she explains that the words inscribed on the flag are the “Shahada”, an Islamic declaration of faith which says: “There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger.”
Fred Hahn and CUPE Ontario did not respond to True North’s requests to comment or denounce the use of symbols and flags associated with terrorist entities in Canada before the deadline provided.