The Burlington Convention Centre (BCC) has officially cancelled the Reviving Roots Conference scheduled to take place on Monday, Feb. 24 after pushback from both the local community and Burlington’s politicians.
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward announced the cancellation on X today (Feb. 18) thanking residents for contacting her office with their concerns about the event, which was planned to feature a speech by Mohammed Hijab, a YouTuber with a history of antisemitism, homophobia, misogyny and spreading violent rhetoric.
The BCC also released a statement today on X, saying that they ‘believe that this rhetoric and behavior are inconsistent with the values and principles of respect and coexistence by which the Burlington Convention Centre operates.’
The BCC said that they had consulted with both Meed Ward and the Global Imams Council, an international Islamic organization, about the cancellation before making it official.
Read more here: Marianne Meed Ward releases statement on controversial Reviving Roots Conference
The event had also been denounced by Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kerns and B’nai Brith Canada, one of the country’s oldest Jewish human rights organizations.