Statement on Cancellation of the Peace and Unity Festival
Firstly, we want to express our deepest regrets to those of you who were participating in the Peace and Unity Festival and experienced its sudden cancellation. The organizers of the Peace and Unity Festival, John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights, Migrante Alberta, and Memoria Viva, denounce the shutdown incited by the Wolf Willow Westridge Community League Board on June 29, 2024. The all-day event aimed to unite diverse community groups amidst global unrest, connecting struggles through culture and the arts. The day began at 11 am with the building of a tipi, smudging and prayers, followed by a discussion circle, community mural, and a full list of cultural performances. We encourage you to watch the video captured by Damian Abrahams of Indigital Media, which showcases the progression of activities throughout the day and highlights both the beauty and the unfortunate downfall of the event.
At approximately 3 pm, just as the youth stage was kicking off, the Board of Wolf Willow Westridge Community League, accompanied by the Edmonton Police Service, arrived at the premises. The Board claimed the event was spreading hate propaganda due to the presence of anti-war pamphlets, alternative literature, Palestinian flags, and a Palestinian vendor. They also took issue with the participation of an independent Jewish performer, labeling it as hate speech. The Board demanded the closure of the two booths, removal of the Palestinian flags, and exclusion of the Palestinian vendor and the performer Tzadeka, or else they would shut down the event. As a collective, Migrante Alberta, Memoria Viva, and John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights could not abide by these demands. To do so would have violated human rights as defined in the Alberta Human Rights Act and enforced blatant discrimination contrary to our values and principles.
This Festival was intended to be a space of inclusion, free from discrimination based on religion, political beliefs, race, or any other factor. What began as an effort by a group of us living in west Edmonton to bring this important celebration and the arts to our community turned into something beyond our control. We could not discriminate nor agree that Palestinian oppression should ever be considered offensive and censored. We deeply apologize for the harm caused.
The show will go on however. We are mobilizing to reconvene the Festival and pick up where we left off in the coming weeks. We will report back shortly on the new date and ensure we provide a platform for the performers and speakers. We hope you will join us to stand in solidarity and unity, which feels all the more important right now.
To all the artists and performers, we recognize the arrangements you made to be at the event. We will be sending your artist fees to you regardless, as we understand the impact this may have had. We also hope you will join us at the rescheduled festival.
To the volunteers, thank you for your hard work and for helping us close the event and pack up swiftly despite the aggressiveness of the Board. We are proud of how professionally and calmly everyone handled the situation. Thank you profusely.
To the vendors, thank you for being with us, and we deeply apologize. We would like to work with you over the next few weeks to amplify your business and drive people to you. We will reach out to move this forward and invite you again to the rescheduled event.
We hope to see you all at the rescheduled event to stand together in true peace and unity.