Jewish organizations and political leaders in British Columbia are condemning the actions of pro-Palestinian demonstrators who directly targeted a Jewish member of the provincial legislative assembly during an event in Victoria on June 7.
MLA Nina Krieger, a newly elected member of the ruling NDP party who represents the district of Victoria – Swan Lake, was hosting a fundraiser at the Victoria Bowls and Croquet Club when protesters arrived and, through a fence, shouted at her.
According to one report, pro-Palestinian protesters, who hold weekly demonstrations in front of the BC Parliament Buildings each Saturday, were informed at the most recent rally that there would be a fundraiser for Krieger a few blocks to the east between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The fundraiser, billed as a family-friendly event, was seen as an opportunity for Krieger to meet with constituents, discuss her first session as an MLA, talk about her present portfolio as parliamentary secretary for arts and film, and discuss future objectives.
The protesters showed up and yelled at Krieger, who was there with her family, and other attendees. An NDP spokesperson told The CJN that the concern is that they targeted her because she is Jewish. Other NDP provincial politicians have had fundraisers in the region and the NDP has not been aware of similar protests at these events, the spokesperson said.
In a statement sent to The CJN on June 9, Krieger said, “I support the right of people to protest. Of course, it is possible to criticize Israel’s leadership and policies, something done by Israelis and by Jews and others around the world every day.
“But the protesters that visited my event this weekend crossed the line into intimidation and harassment because of who I am. This is antisemitism. Antisemitism is illiberal, toxic to democracy and dangerous. We must build a province where the dignity of all people is upheld, where differences are bridged with respectful dialogue, and where nobody is targeted because of who they are.”
Krieger also expressed her gratitude to Niki Sharma, BC’s deputy premier and attorney general. On Sunday, Sharma, on behalf of the government, posted on social media: “Everyone in Canada has the right to protest and express their views. But it is never ok to target someone because of who they are. We stand with Nina and anyone in the Jewish community feeling targeted. We unequivocally denounce this act of harassment and antisemitism.”
John Rustad, the leader of the Opposition Conservative Party, denounced the demonstrators as well. “I am sorry to hear this. No member of the Legislative Assembly of BC should be targeted for being Jewish,” he wrote on X.
Nico Slobinsky, vice-president of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs in Vancouver, told The CJN, “No one should be targeted because of who they are. However, members of the Jewish community, including MLA Nina Krieger, have been subjected to an escalation in antisemitic harassment and intimidation since the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks.
“Our elected leaders and law enforcement must take steps to ensure that our communities are safe for all.”
Ezra Shanken, the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, echoed those sentiments and called the events of Saturday evening “shocking.” In a video addressing what unfolded at the fundraiser, he asked why Krieger was targeted by “pro-Hamas protesters” when she is not Canada’s foreign minister and there is no portfolio for ending the war in Gaza within the provincial government.
“I think we all know the answer to that question and that is unacceptable,” Shanken said.
The June 7 event was touted as Krieger’s first fundraiser as an MLA and was to have involved an afternoon of lawn bowling and a barbecue. A children’s colouring zone was set up inside and staffed by volunteers.
Prior to her election last October, Krieger served for 12 years as the executive director of the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre (VHEC). She is one of only a handful of Jewish politicians in the province.
Krieger’s more recent social media posts, on June 6, included a message of goodwill from the provincial NDP to those celebrating the Muslim festival of Eid-al-Adha and an announcement about the province’s Racist Incident Helpline.
Before entering politics, Krieger, while at the VHEC, advised on anti-racism education and museums provincially, nationally and internationally, serving as a member of the Canadian delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and the government of Canada’s inaugural Expert Committee on Countering Radicalization to Violence.
The BC NDP has been criticized recently by local Jewish leaders, particularly in the aftermath of Oct. 7, for not doing enough to address the growing number of antisemitic incidents in the province. In a joint March 6, 2024 letter, Slobinsky, Shanken and Rabbi Jonathan Infeld, the chair of the Rabbinical Association of Vancouver, called on Premier David Eby to “demonstrate leadership and address antisemitism within his caucus, his government, and in British Columbia as a whole.”
In February 2024, Selina Robinson, at the time one of two Jewish NDP MLAs in the province, was the target of pro-Palestinian protesters following comments she made about Israel. The fervour and vitriol from those protests reached such a level that Eby decided to oust her from her cabinet position as minister of post-secondary education.
Robinson, too, was reported to have received a death threat during that period. In December 2024, she released a book, Truth Be Told, in which she said that the BC NDP “has turned on Jews.”
