A memorial honouring a controversial lawyer who devoted her career to defending Neo-Nazis and white nationalists in court was held at a Toronto library branch despite the mayor’s calls for it to be cancelled.
A handful of people showed up at Richview Library in Etobicoke on Wednesday evening to pay tribute to recently deceased lawyer and former librarian Barbara Kulaszka. She represented numerous defendants accused of hate crimes and acted as counsel for prominent Holocaust-denier Ernst Zündel and Marc Lemire, the leader of a white supremacist group.
The closed-door event was organized by Lemire and Paul Fromm, the founder of the Canadian Association for Free Expression.
Despite Toronto Mayor John Tory’s recommendation to the library to cancel the meeting, the two-hour service was held without disruption or protests.
Tory released a statement ahead of the memorial saying that he was “deeply concerned” about it and that he had expressed that to library staff.
“Following a request I made to consider the cancellation of this event, I was informed that the library has received legal advice that it cannot reject this room booking request,” Tory said in the statement. “I have asked the library to ensure this event is closely monitored.”
The library brought in extra security guards and sent a library employee to sit in on the event to take notes.
Richview Library said they’re trying to balance the organizers’ right to freedom of expression and maintaining a safe, welcoming environment.
“Nothing that has indicated that the law has been contravened,” Ana-Maria Critchley, a spokesperson for the library said on Wednesday. “We’re not able to deny access to an event based on opinion, as unpopular as it may be.”
Tory said his office will be asking the library board to review its room rental policies in the wake of the gathering.
Memorial attendees told CTV Toronto the event was “harmless.” They argued that they were expressing their right to free speech and not hate speech.
With a report from CTV Toronto’s Miranda Anthistle
