Winnipeg’s Jewish Community Strikes Back: Solidarity Overcomes CPAM’s Hate-Fueled Protest

In a powerful display of unity and resilience, Winnipeg’s Jewish community and its allies turned the tables on an anti-Jewish protest staged by the Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba (CPAM) this afternoon. The protest took place outside the Asper Jewish Community Centre—home to a Jewish day school and daycare—and was aimed at derailing the upcoming SSI event “Triggered: From Combat To Campus – The Tour,” which features accounts from IDF soldiers who fought back following the devastating Hamas massacres in Israel on October 7, 2023.

Billed as an “Emergency Protest,” CPAM demonstrators gathered at a crucial moment when parents were picking up their children and community members were arriving to attend the annual school play. As the mob unleashed hateful slogans such as “From the River to the Sea” and “Free, Free Palestine,” the vitriol soon reached a personal level.

“Today I was called a Nazi, just outside the place where the holocaust education centre of western Canada resides. Today I was called a racist, me, a Jewish man with a black father and three brown skinned siblings.”

Alerted by prior warnings, over 150 Jewish community members and allies mobilized with unwavering determination. Clad in Israeli and Canadian flags, they took over the sidewalks and streets leading up to the Community Centre, effectively blocking the hate-filled protesters from positioning themselves near the building’s entrance, crosswalk, and parking lot. Amid the rhythmic beats of Israeli music and spirited dancing, this show of solidarity sent a resounding message: Enough is enough.

Amid the chaos, another community voice captured the absurdity of the hate:

“The best part of my day was being called a white colonialist me, a brown woman.”

And a witness, recently returned from the US, added:

“I just returned here from the US and this is the first thing I encounter. In the US this wouldn’t happen. Not outside the doors of a Jewish Community Centre with a day school and daycare.”

Despite the overwhelming display of community strength, a small group of approximately 70 anti-Semites managed to gather in a corner of the street. They hurled racist and antisemitic slurs at the Jewish crowd, with some even involving their children in the hateful chants and desecrating a bloodied, partially torn Israeli flag. Signs labeled Jews as “colonizers,” “murderers,” and “thieves,” with one sign brazenly branding them “Rapists” and another “Genocidal Maniacs.” Although a brief scuffle erupted, police swiftly deployed their anti-riot team to separate the groups, ensuring that the confrontation remained relatively peaceful.

For the first time since the aftermath of the October 7 massacres, prominent leaders from Winnipeg’s Jewish community took a stand against hate. Federation CEO Jeff Lieberman directly confronted the hostile demonstrators, while Federation President Paula Marks condemned the appalling act of protesters wiping their feet on a damaged Israeli flag. Lawrence Pinsky from Blue & White played a pivotal role on the ground, alongside community stalwarts such as JNF-Manitoba CEO David Graves, Magen David award winner Einat Paz, Federation board vice-chair Jessica Cogan, Rabbi Kliel Rose of Congregation Etz Chayim, and University of Manitoba professor Haskel Greenfield, all of whom stood in solidarity with the grassroots movement.

This resolute action by Winnipeg’s Jewish community underscores a critical point. While extremist groups seek to dominate public discourse with divisive and hateful rhetoric, it is the strength and unity of a community that truly prevails. In standing together, these community members reaffirm not only their commitment to Israel’s right to self-defense but also their determination to protect their children, schools, and sacred spaces from the corrosive effects of hate.

To watch a LIVE video of the protest as covered by TheJ.Ca click here.