Is That Ron Banerjee Choking The Gay Protester At Ford Fest?

Sure looks like it, and the folks at ARC Canada have a clearer shot, and links to video of the guy in the picture yelling anti-gay slurs.

Ron Banerjee, if you don't know, is both the leader and a large portion of the membership of Canadian Hindu Advocaacy (CHA), a hard right group of at least one Hindu (Ron) and maybe one or two other guys, also presumably Hindu.  He's done some pro-Ford proselytizing before.

Now, the guy really, really looks like Ron...here's another shot:

And even a few of his usual allies think its him:

And I hear a few reporter-types have been trying to get hold of Ron.  But it hasn't yet been confirmed as far as I know.  For my part, I've emailed one of CHA's contact email for a response, and received none.

PS.  Here's a few undisputed shots of  Ron for comparison..

Ron Banerjee: Two Man Band Or One Lonely Hindi And His Sockpuppet Army?

This post, from GridTO, implies that the group Canadian Hindu Advocacy, led by Ron Banerjee,  consists entirely of Ron Banerjee.  Me, I've always assumed that Ron had exactly one  follower by the name of  Naresh Patel, pictured below to the right:

Or was this just some poor sap who wandered onto the scene and got gestured towards by Ron?

Cracks Appear In Multi-Faith Coalition

"Multi-Faith Coalition" are what the folks protesting Friday prayers at Valley Park Middle School.  Looks like they have already started to come unravelled, or at least some elements within the coalition are having Ron Bannerjee Problems:

No word on whether the CHP has disassociated itself from the CHA (Canadian Hindu Advocacy), because the latter group is really just Bannerjee and some old guy.  No word either on whether they also want to dissociate themselves from any Bannerjee sock-puppets. 

Jewish Defense League Plans To Crash "Women Won't Forget" Vigil

 ...do a little Muzzie bashing.  Why?  From their website:

 Marc Lepine’s father Liess Gharbi was an Algerian immigrant, a Muslim Extremist  who taught his boy how to hate women...

Dawg's  unpacked this formulation ages ago, so I'm not going to bother.  More to the point, the University of Toronto has discovered JDL's plan and asked them to nix it:

Dear JDL Canada,

It has come to our attention that your website indicates you are planning to host an event next Tuesday, December 6th in Philosopher's Walk. The property in question is owned by the University and is not available for groups to book. As well, Philosopher's Walk will be the site of the annual Women Won't Forget candlelight vigil on the same date at the memorial location.

I would kindly insist that you relocate your event and not use Philosopher's Walk.

Sincerely,
Steve Bailey

Steven Bailey
Director, Office of Space Management
University of Toronto
McMurrich Building, 4th Floor
12 Queen's Park Crescent West
Toronto, ON
M5S 1S8

But, last I looked, Meir Weinstein still intends to go ahead with the JDL demonstration, which decision can only be characterized as depraved:

Dear Steve Bailey,

The Women Won't Forget candlelight vigil is a public event. I believe it is important for the public to attend. JDL is part of a multi faith coalition that respects and supports events for Dec 6th. The victims of Marc Lepine should be remembered. We are asking our supporters to attend and light a candle.

Sincerly

Meir Weinstein
National Director Jewish Defence League of Canada

Given the JDL's penchant for confrontation, though, what happens if one of the WWF people, quite justifiably outraged by the fact that their event is being used as a platform for race-baiting, tries to jam one of those candles up Meir Weinstein's ass.  Will we see that patented spin & kick move of his, that he hasn't used much lately since his hip went?  After all, he can't rely on the "security detail" from Canadian Hindu Advocacy; those two skinny hindi don't weigh 98 lbs together in a sack.

Valley Park Middle School Update: Canadian Hindu Advocacy Vows More Protests!

 And their leader, Ron Banerjee, doesn't care whose prayers get interrupted:

“We’ll picket in front of the school when they begin praying. Let’s see how much praying they can do with our loudspeakers and hundreds of people there. We want to make it clear we don’t approve of prayer and gender apartheid inside the school. If our loudness disrupts their prayers, then so be it.”

Firstly, since Banerjee managed to scare up all of a single elderly hindi at the last protest, I question his noise making abilities (although not his ability to blow smoke).  Secondly, you would think that, whatever your opinion of the school's attempts at religious accommodation, actually disrupting the prayers of 10 year old kids would be considered dirty pool.  But Ron Banerjeee doesn't think that, because Ron Banerjee is a dick.

On a more civilized note:

The Toronto wing of the Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy (CIJA) issued a statement supporting the accommodation of Muslim prayers. “School space for prayer on a voluntary, extra-curricular basis, is included in the principle of religious accommodation which Ontario school boards are required to honour under Ministry of Education guidelines,” CIJA stated. “Reasonable religious accommodation, which is enshrined in human rights legislation across the country, benefits all faith communities, including the Jewish community. The absence of reasonable religious accommodation would negatively affect Jewish students and those of other faiths. School boards should closely monitor religious accommodation activities taking place on their property and all such activities should be consistent with the values of the board.”

Expanding on that position, Howard English, vice-president of the Greater Toronto region of CIJA, said reasonable religious accommodation “benefits the Jewish community tremendously. It allows for absences on religious holidays and for voluntary extra-curricular Jewish heritage programs in schools as well.”

However, English added the TDSB “has the responsibility to monitor any kind of extra-curricular activities.” He suggested that it might require having an Arabic-speaker observe the prayers.

I am told the CIJA is what the now defunct CJC has become.  Nice to see that the new org. has some of the same progressive tendencies as the old.