Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh was giving a keynote address when a group of around 25 to 30 protestors attempted to enter the room. Photo credit: Twitter/Jagmeet Singh
Police are investigating after a group of 25 to 30 pro-Palestine supporters attempted to storm the federal NDP convention being held at the Hamilton Convention Centre over the weekend.
Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh and members of the party were in Hamilton for their national policy convention.
The protestors communicated that they wanted the NDP to take a harder stance in favour of Palestine in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Hamas terrorists.
Videos posted on social media show a group of protestors climbing stairs in an attempt to gain access to the main hall where the convention was taking place.
Singh was giving his keynote speech in the convention hall when the protestors attempted to storm the room.
Protestors were blocked by police and security.
During his speech, Singh said that “there can be no justification for the torture, murder, and sexual violence committed by Hamas.”
The group appears to have been led by Ghada Sasa who describes herself on social media as a “Palestinian PhD candidate at McMaster University.”
In videos posted online, Sasa appears to be holding a megaphone and leading the group in chants.
She also tweeted about the protest saying that they have “three demands” for the NDP.
Among those demands, Sasa tweets that the NDP must “recognize that Palestinians have a moral and legal right to violent resistance.”
She continued by writing that if the NDP fails to follow through on their demands by the end of the weekend then they call on “all ethical members of the NDP to abandon the party or our blood as Palestinians is on your hands.”
She also claims that the group was “assaulted by private security and police.”
Meanwhile, Hamilton Police Service (HPS) released their own statement saying that a security guard was assaulted by those very same protestors.
The police statement notes that no arrests were made and individuals eventually left the area.
NDP officials have also reported that four convention delegates had their credentials removed for violating the NDP’s harassment policy seemingly in relation to their participation in the protest.
It’s unclear how many protestors were also convention attendees.
Previous social media posts from Sasa also indicate that she attended the pro-Palestine rally in Toronto that was staged by an organization called the Palestinian Youth Movement in “celebration” of “heroic Palestinian resistance.”
The rally was heavily criticized by Jewish human rights groups for seemingly celebrating the Hamas terrorist attacks that took place on October 7.
Sasa also tweeted her support for Hamilton MPP Sarah Jama when Jama was at the centre of a controversy for her statement in support of Palestine which failed to condemn the Hamas attacks.
At the time, Sasa tweeted, “The fascist Ontario NDP doesn’t even deserve a principled politician like Sarah Jama.”
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
