Vancouver college instructor who praised Hamas attacks at rally breaks silence

A group called United in Struggle has shared the first public statements from a Vancouver college instructor placed on leave for comments she made at a pro-Palestinian rally in the city last weekend.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, and others, have been calling for Langara College to fire Natalie Knight, an English instructor who spoke to the crowd at the event. 

During her remarks, Knight described the massacre of civilians – including young children – by Hamas as "the amazing, brilliant offensive waged on Oct. 7."

The governments of Canada and many other nations around the world have declared Hamas – which has called for the elimination of Israel and the killing of Jewish people – a terrorist organization.

The statement issued by United in Struggle Friday includes a link to a video of Knight's full remarks, which include the context in which she expressed support for the attacks. 

She begins by describing herself and others at the event as members of United in Struggle, a group she calls "a revolutionary mass organization in East Vancouver" that unites "workers, Indigenous people and all oppressed people to fight back against the ruling elites."

Knight goes on to describe six political prisoners digging their way out of a maximum security prison using only spoons, an apparent reference to the September 2021 Gilboa prison break. 

"This was a feat of determination and ingenuity only eclipsed by the amazing, brilliant offensive waged on Oct. 7," Knight says in the video, before adding:

"United in Struggle upholds the unqualified right to resist and fight back against imperialist aggression, colonialism and genocidal campaigns of the Israeli state."

The full remarks leave little doubt that Knight was saying she believes the Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas was justified as a form of resistance to Israeli oppression.

United in Struggle's statement Friday reiterates "unqualified support for Palestinian resistance." It also includes Knight's first public comments on the matter.

She has not responded to requests for comment from CTV News Vancouver.

In the statement, Knight asserts that "Palestinians have a right to resist occupation under international law."

"We will not be intimidated from exercising our right to express political support for the just resistance to Israeli occupation and the genocide of Palestinians," she continues. "Palestinians have resisted through strikes, mass protests, boycotts, United Nations resolutions, and motions at the International Criminal Court. Every form of Palestinian resistance has been criminalized by the Israeli state and condemned by Canadian officials."

United in Struggle concludes its statement by calling on Langara to reinstate Knight, noting that political speech is protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

"There have been many enthusiastic expressions of support for Israeli military operations, and yet no one is being threatened with losing their job," says Zachary Williams, another member of United in Struggle quoted in the statement.

For its part, Langara has asked for "patience and understanding" as the college investigates Knight and her remarks, calling the situation "a confidential process."

"We grieve for the innocent victims and their families, and all those suffering from the escalation of violence," the college said in its own statement this week.

"There is no place for any form of hatred in our community, and we will continue to support our students, staff, and faculty who are affected by these events."

Since the Oct. 7 attacks, the Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war reached 9,227, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. In the occupied West Bank, more than 140 Palestinians have been killed in violence and Israeli raids.

The Gaza ministry is funded by the Palestinian Health Ministry, which is based in the West Bank. While U.S. authorities have cast doubt on its casualty figures, the UN and other international agencies have found them to be reliable during previous conflicts. The Associated Press has more information on how the Gaza death toll is gathered. 

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Shannon Paterson and The Associated Press