Letters: Sorry, Mayor Chow, but it's the anti-Israel protests that are 'divisive'

Re: Olivia Chow skips Toronto’s Israeli flag raising event as ‘it’s a bit divisive’ — May 14; and NP View: Universities must take a stand against hate-filled radicals taking over campuses — Editorial, May 4 I am left puzzled and bewildered. Perhaps someone can help me out. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow refused to attend the flag-raising event for Israel’s Independence Day, citing it as “divisive.

” In the meantime, week after week, Torontonians of all political stripes have had to contend with roving mobs shutting down streets, major traffic arteries, banging drums outside major hospitals, occupying public spaces, rushing into shopping malls to terrify children waiting to see Santa Claus, descending on Jewish neighbourhoods and businesses for the sole purpose of intimidating residents and customers, doxing our much-needed doctors, and more, much more. This is allowed to go on because Her Honour apparently does not regard such activities as divisive. But a flag-raising of a few minutes’ duration is? During the byelection for mayor last fall, there were something in the neighbourhood of 100 candidates in the running, including, as I recall, one dog.

In retrospect, we might have chosen better ...

E. Joan O’Callaghan, Toronto It is past time that all levels of government and university administrations gave their ideologically befuddled heads a shake and realize that our current social disruptions are not protests. They are not expressing opposition to anything ba.