Order to leave called ‘incomprehensible’
The organizer of a memorial on the steps of the Elijah Smith Building was told to vacate the premises early this morning.
Photo by Vince Fedoroff
TOLD TO DEPART – Jean-Francois Des Lauriers is seen this morning at a memorial he created to the victims of the Norwegian massacres. He was ordered to vacate the premises by the operators of the Elijah Smith Building, SNC-Lavalin. He refused to leave.
The organizer of a memorial on the steps of the Elijah Smith Building was told to vacate the premises early this morning.
Jean-Francois Des Lauriers, who is seeking the NDP nomination for Takhini-Kopper King in the upcoming election, set up a small table with flowers and a consolation book to honour the victims of a pair of Norwegian terrorist attacks that occurred on Friday, July 22. Both were perpetrated by a single man named Anders Behring Breivik.
“Today we mourn. Tomorrow we build a better world,” read a small sign on the binder, which held a number of signatures from Whitehorse residents.
Once Des Lauriers set up his station, he was informed by a representative from SNC-Lavalin – which manages and maintains the property – that he wasn’t permitted on the premises.
When he refused to remove the Norwegian flags he was flying, the worker threatened to call the police.
“I’m choked to the max here,” said Des Lauriers. “I told him, ‘You’re desecrating a memorial.’”
Des Lauriers said he was reminded of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing when he heard news of the terrorist attack in Norway.
“I was leaving for Edmonton on Friday when I heard about it,” said Des Lauriers. “All I thought was, ‘Oh no, not again.’
“I’m in grief right now,” he said.
Des Lauriers said the tragedy is indicative of increased right-wing extremism, and was shocked to learn the victims of the camp shooting were targeted for being the youth wing of the Norwegian Labour Party.
“These are my people. They were targeted specifically for political reasons,” he said.
The official death toll of the Norwegian massacre, as of this morning, was 76.
Norwegian police had earlier stated that 93 people were killed in a bombing of a government building in Oslo and a mass murder at a youth camp on a small island northwest of Oslo called Utoeya.
The mass murder is the worst in Norway’s peacetime history, and the greatest loss of life since the Second World War.
Breivik is reportedly an anti-Muslim extremist who has attempted to start a Norwegian satellite component of the English Defence League.
He appeared in court this morning and plead not guilty.
Breivik has stated he believed his actions were necessary to save the country from an influx of Muslim immigrants and to damage the Labour Party, which he believes has failed his country.
He is quoted as saying he wishes to be a “saviour of European Christendom.”
Des Lauriers said he can’t imagine the grief of the Norwegian people, and was shocked that a society as peaceful and progressive as Norway could be the setting for such a tragedy.
“If it can happen there, it could happen here too,” he said. “Nobody’s safe.”
Alex Furlong, the new regional director of the Canadian Labour Congress, was at the event this morning.
He said he has had similar problems in the past with SNC-Lavalin
“This is what happens when you privatize,” said Furlong. “We’ve run into similar issues with SNC-Lavalin in the past, not being allowed to fly a flag on the National Day of Mourning.”
“This is how the Harper government wants to run things. It’s ridiculous, in my opinion,” he said. “It’s a sad day for Canada.”
Julie Docherty, the regional executive vice president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, North, said she was infuriated that SNC-Lavalin attempted to shut down their memorial.
“It’s incomprehensible,” she said.
Docherty said she checked the Canadian Heritage website this morning, and wrote down a quote from the front page of the site which read: “The manner in which flags may be displayed in Canada is not governed by any legislation.”
“They told us we were breaking the law,” she said. “There is no law.”
Des Lauriers contacted Yukon MP Ryan Leef, who attended the site this morning and attempted to get permission for the memorial to be held there. Des Lauriers was told Leef has no authority there.
“This is our building. This is who we elected,” said Des Lauriers. “What do you mean he has no authority here?”
“Who do we have to call? The prime minister?” asked Furlong.
Des Lauriers said he will have the memorial set up until 1:00 this afternoon, and plans to leave flowers there indefinitely.
“This is our building. I paid for that. My grandfather fought in two frickin’ wars so we could have this building,” he said.
Des Lauriers said he hopes the memorial will show that the residents of Whitehorse stand in solidarity with the Norwegian people.
He wants people to show their intolerance for political violence and hate speech, which, in his opinion, is a growing problem in Canada and around the world.
“This is a time for us to reflect and think about all the violence and all the madness and say, ‘Enough is enough,’” said Des Lauriers.
johnjack
Jul 25, 2011 at 3:08 pm
The gov has no brains let there be a memorial!!!