The president of Canadian Union for Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario, Fred Hahn, has apologized for comments he made on Oct. 8, one day after the Hamas attack on Israel that killed over 350 Israelis and injured more than 1,900 people in that country by late that Saturday.
In an open letter on Oct. 21, Hahn wrote: “On October 7th, Hamas committed a horrific terrorist attack on civilians in Israel. On the day immediately following that, I tweeted about resistance. The timing was wrong. That was an error, and I apologize.” He “unequivocally” condemns the Hamas attack on Israel and “the disproportionate retribution by the state of Israel on the people of Palestine.”
Hahn also apologized for causing “stress and uncertainty” to CUPE members who have friends and family in Israel and Palestine. He stated that he has never endorsed violence.
Hahn, whose union represents nearly 300,000 workers, faced criticism for his social media statements. Federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan stated on Oct. 11 that Hahn’s comments were a “glorification of violence,” and he stood with other labor leaders in condemning Hamas’ attacks as terrorism.
On Oct. 8, the day after the Hamas attacks, Hahn posted statements on social media in favor of “the power of resistance around the globe.” He also shared an image on Instagram that contained the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which is associated with the desire for the destruction of Israel.
Hahn has not responded to requests for comment from The Epoch Times, but in his statement on Oct. 21, he acknowledged that his social media posts created confusion and misinformation about CUPE’s position. He emphasized that CUPE is calling for an immediate ceasefire and expressing grave concern about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Following his apology, comments on social media questioned why Hahn was calling for a ceasefire instead of the release of the hostages, while others continued to call for his resignation.