Coalition calls for cancellation of Toronto debate starring Steve Bannon

TORONTO – Steve Bannon, the controversial former strategist of US President Donald Trump, will argue the issue of populism in Toronto this week will be increasingly criticized and his critics will demand the cancellation of the event.

Community groups and federal and provincial politicians raised concerns over Friday's event, during which Bannon will oppose Conservative commentator David Frum on the role of populism in the future. politics.

Several organizations met on Tuesday to demand that the event, which is part of Munk's debates, be canceled, in light of the murderous attack last weekend in a Pittsburgh synagogue.

In their view, giving Bannon a platform to express extreme views contributes to a climate of hate that can encourage violence against marginalized or racialized groups.

"We are at an important and terrifying moment when we see the right-wing governments taking power around the world.The hate we are seeing is serious – in fact, it's deadly," said Rachel Epstein of United Jewish People's People. Order.

"Opposing this kind of hatred and violence and the violence that it engenders is not the subject of debate. That's why we ask that the conversation of Bannon be canceled, and if that is not the case … there would be a large number of people there, let him know that he is not welcome. "

New Democrats at the federal and provincial levels also expressed concerns about Bannon's scheduled appearance in the debate.

NDP MP Nathan Cullen said that efforts must be made to ensure that people do not get a platform to spread hate.

"I hope Canadians will be able to reject this, but we have witnessed so tragically the consequences for politicians, in public discourse when they spread hatred, that others take up that language and transform it." in action, "he said.

The leader of the Ontario NDP has echoed this sentiment.

"We have enough dissension, we have enough hatred everywhere, unfortunately here in Ontario, across Canada and the United States, the last thing we need is another platform for more hatred to be spewed," said Andrea Horwath.

The organizers of the debate defended the event, saying it would provide valuable badysis on an urgent problem.

"We are thinking of providing a public service by allowing their ideas to be vigorously challenged and the public to draw its own conclusions from the debate," said Munk Debates chairman Rudyard Griffiths in a statement.

"In our increasingly polarized societies, we often find it hard to see beyond ideological and moral divisions, and a civil and substantive public debate about the great problems of our time helps us all to better understand the challenges we face. are confronted as a society, made to solve them. "

Bannon, former executive chairman of the Breitbart News right, was chief strategist and senior adviser to Trump until August 2017. He was recently stricken from the New Yorker Festival's list of speakers as a result of a violent reaction and threats of boycott by other guests.

Frum, editor of The Atlantic magazine, was speechwriter for former President George W. Bush and is the author of the recent book "Trumpocracy". He previously stated that the planned debate would be an important discussion.

"Liberal democracy is based on the belief that free people can be encouraged to make wiser choices with words and ideas," he wrote in a statement posted on Twitter at the announcement of the debate.

"Mr. Bannon goes to the prestigious Munk platform because he believes that his words can persuade people to follow him, and I will face him because I am convinced that democratic ideas can defeat him."