Hamilton-Centre NDP MPP Sarah Jama is facing criticism for attending the Toronto No Pride In Policing Coalition’s (NPPC) “abolitionist and antifascist pride” march.
The far-left march held on June 25 was not only demanding the abolishment of police and prisons, but was also against Israel, for legal prostitution and for the reintroduction of mask mandates.
Jama shared pictures of the march on Twitter, writing, “POV: Riding in the accessibility van at the anti fascist, abolitionist pride march led by the No Pride in Policing Coalition because I forgot to charge my chair again.”
Jama is disabled and uses a wheelchair to get around.
The NPPC describes itself as “a group of queer and trans people formed to support BLM-TO and now focused on defunding and abolishing the police.”
Its “abolitionist and antifascist pride” march seeks to bring attention to “continuing racist and colonialist police violence and the right-wing and fascists attacking drag queens, trans, queer, Black and Indigenous people.”
Marchers carried a large banner reading, “No justice, no peace, abolish the police,” and chanted, “defund, disarm, dismantle, abolish (the police).”
The march also supported 25 demands made by the NPPC, including the abolishing of police and getting rid of all “carceral injustice.”
The NPPC’s demands also included the full decriminalization of prostitution, for prostitutes and drug users to be able to donate blood, for safe supply and drug injection sites to be supported, for drag shows for kids to be protected from “right-wing and fascist” attacks, a $20 per hour minimum wage and making Toronto “a real Sanctuary City.”
The group also called for marchers to support “the Palestinian Struggle Against Israeli Apartheid and Settler Colonialism,” and “the global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel.”
“Defend Palestine defenders from attacks by pro-Israel lobby groups, universities, and school boards.”
The NPPC was also calling on governments to “immediately reinstate masking protections in all indoor locations and on public transit.” A poster for the event noted that masks were mandatory, despite the march taking place outdoors.
Jama’s decision to attend the anti-police rally was criticized by Ontario’s Solicitor General Michael Kerzner, who told The Hamilton Independent the latter is an example of the Ontario NDP showing their “true colours.”
Kerzner says the Ford PCs “condemn in the strongest terms the NDP’s calls to defund and abolish the police, and their continued embrace of rampant antisemitism.”
“Marit Stiles must be clear: Is the Ontario NDP’s official policy to abolish the police? How much more antisemitism will she continue to tolerate within her party?”
Neither Jama’s office nor Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles responded to True North’s request for comment in time for publication.
This is not the first time that Jama has been at the centre of controversy over anti-police and anti-Israel rhetoric.
The MPP previously called for the police to be abolished, claiming that “Hamilton police protect Naziism” and “target Blacks, Muslims, and Palestinians.”
Jama also received criticism from Jewish groups for calling convicted terrorist and Palestinian Islamic Jihad member Khader Adnan a “martyr of freedom,” and for other anti-Israel comments.
