David Eby says Vancouver speech praising Hamas attack was ‘most hateful’ he can imagine

B.C. Premier David Eby has joined other politicians denouncing remarks at a demonstration in Vancouver on Friday, where protesters chanted “long live Oct. 7,” praising that day’s attacks by Hamas on Israel.

The rally outside the Vancouver Art Gallery on April 26 was also told by a speaker that the attacks by Hamas that killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were “heroic and brave” — a speech Eby says was “the most hateful” he could imagine and was “completely unacceptable.”

“Celebrating murder, the rape of innocent people — it’s awful, it’s reprehensible, and it shouldn’t take place in British Columbia,” he said while speaking at an unrelated news conference Monday.

“There is clearly an element of some individuals using tragedy — an international tragedy — to promote hate.”

The speech at the protest also drew condemnation from Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, who called it a “celebration of terrorism and antisemitism.”

Sim said in a social media post that people who “spew this vile hatred” are not welcome in the city.

Liberal MP for Vancouver Granville Taleeb Noormohamed added in a social media post that “glorifying Oct. 7 is unacceptable” and doesn’t promote peace, while B.C. Opposition Leader Kevin Falcon called the speech a “celebration of the heinous murder of Jews.”