fbpx

Canadian Green Party Zoom Debate Disrupted With ‘F—king Jew,’ N—-r’ Messages

The Green Party condemned the Zoombombing as racist, sexist and anti-Semitic.
[additional-authors]
July 22, 2020
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 18: People pass walk by the Nasdaq building as the screen shows the logo of the video-conferencing software company Zoom after the opening bell ceremony on April 18, 2019 in New York City. The video-conferencing software company announced it’s IPO priced at $36 per share, at an estimated value of $9.2 billion. (Photo by Kena Betancur/Getty Images)

A primary debate for candidates vying to be the leader of the Canadian Green Party held on Zoom on July 21 was disrupted with messages of anti-Semitic and racial slurs.

According to Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC), among the slurs used in the Zoom chat from outsiders were “f—ing Jew” and “n—-r.” One of the candidates in debate, Annamie Paul, tweeted, “My kids were watching. As a Black Jewish candidate, I’ve been subject to months of anti-Semitic & racist attacks. Party silence emboldened hate. It ends when I win.”

 

B’nai Brith Canada tweeted, “We strongly condemn the disgusting racist & anti-Semitic slurs directed at leadership candidate @AnnamiePaul at the @CanadianGreens debate last night. Hate is unacceptable in [Canada]. We need to work together with energy & resolve to combat racism in all of its forms.”

 

The Canadian Green Party released a statement on July 22 condemning the Zoombombing and have reported the incident to law enforcement.

“The Green Party of Canada strongly condemns racist, sexist and anti-Semitic attacks against two leadership contestants during an online town hall conducted on Zoom last night,” the statement read. “The vile language appeared briefly in the public chat space before moderators ejected the perpetrators from the event and deleted their hateful comments.”

Simon Wiesenthal Center Executive Director Rabbi Meyer May said in a statement that the July 21 Zoombombing was indicative of the recent rise in online anti-Semitism.

“Online platforms have a responsibility to make a serious and focused commitment to police against the hate that is proliferating on their sites,” May said. “It’s important for groups hosting meetings and events on platforms, such as Zoom, to enforce the necessary security measures to ensure that hateful attacks such as Zoom-bombings are averted.”

Zoombombing refers to the disruption of calls on the Zoom video conferencing platform with offensive language or images that has become more frequent as everybody has been relegated to online platforms as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In June, a virtual Shabbat Kiddush in Toronto was Zoombombed with similar anti-Semitic and racist remarks.

Did you enjoy this article?
You'll love our roundtable.

Editor's Picks

Latest Articles

A Deafening Silence

A Jewish woman burned to death on American soil. The violence wasn’t random. It was ideological, premeditated, and still, almost no one says her name.

Refreshing Summer Salads

Bright, earthy and deeply refreshing, this salad brings together the forest-like aroma of fresh herbs with a sweet and nutty crunch.

Print Issue: Reclaiming American Values | July 4, 2025

“American values” was once shorthand for the animating ideals of liberal democracy. Now it’s become politicized. As we celebrate July 4th, Jews must lead the way in reclaiming an idea that is meant to unite us, not divide us.

Why Jews Must Reclaim American Values

“American values” was once shorthand for the animating ideals of liberal democracy. Now it’s become politicized. As we celebrate July 4, Jews must lead the way in reclaiming an idea that is meant to unite us, not divide us.

Dawn of a New Era in the Middle East

The ceasefire that President Trump brokered is the second crucial step in that process, not the end of the story but the start of a new chapter.

The Fall of Pride. And the March Into Mayhem

To those raising fists in solidarity with the “Free Palestine” movement in the Western world and chanting “resistance by any means necessary,” we ask: Does your “resistance support” include the execution of queer people?

More news and opinions than at a
Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.