Vancouver councillor-elect Sean Orr’s party issued a news release Wednesday accusing Mayor Ken Sim of collaborating with Jewish groups in a “bad faith attempt” to smear Orr for controversial social media posts he made before he was elected Saturday.
The release was in response to statements issued Tuesday by the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver (JFGV) and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), in which they requested Orr apologize for posts he made in 2021 and 2023 on the X social media platform.
That request was reiterated Wednesday at a news conference at Vancouver city hall, where Sim and Ezra Shanken, CEO of the JFGV, condemned the content of Orr’s posts, calling them antisemitic.
The posts in question:
• On Aug. 31, 2021, Orr wrote that “everyone knows Vancouver city planners are controlled by a secret cabal of Jews who have a bunker in the earth's core fml.”
• On Oct. 30, 2023, the groups say Orr falsely accused the State of Israel of committing acts of genocide while it acted to defend its citizens and sovereign territory from terrorist aggression in the deadly attack by Hamas Oct. 7, 2023.
Shanken said other posts had since come to his attention.
“When I read one social media message, I can't get to the end of it before another five arrive in my inbox,” he told reporters.
“This isn't about one message. It is about a pattern of behaviour that shows a callousness to communities like ours and others that we are yet a sarcastic comment for this individual. We are a butt of this individual’s joke.”
The release from COPE did not include an apology, but instead said Sim had “cynically collaborated with this bad-faith attack based on misinformation in an attempt to divide us and distract from his own failures.”
The party described Orr as “a consistent voice of opposition to fascism, antisemitism and all manner of bigotry as part of his role as a writer, advocate and public figure in Vancouver for over two decades.”
'Out of context and misrepresented'
Orr, who declined an interview Wednesday, posted on X Tuesday that in 2021 he was being sarcastic in quoting comedian David Cross “while condemning antisemitic dogwhistle” on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
“I was defending Karm Sumal [co-founder of Daily Hive] against the claim he was a ‘globalist shill,’” he wrote. “I have been outspoken over the years opposing all forms of racism including antisemitism.”
Orr said it was “unfortunate that this was taken out of context and misrepresented.”
COPE said in its release that “smears and knowing misrepresentations” by the CIJA, Sim and Conservative Party of B.C. Leader John Rustad have directly contributed to public and private death threats against Orr.
“We call on all parties and participants in Vancouver’s democratic institutions to condemn any threats against individuals or communities, and to stop enabling these threats through misrepresentations and lies about our new councillor,” said Shawn Vulliez, COPE co-chair.
“We urge Ken Sim and ABC to respect the message sent by voters and change direction instead of trying to distract and deflect from their failures with these spurious attacks.”
Libby Davies, Avi Lewis
The release included support for Orr from former NDP MP Libby Davies, Independent Jewish Voices, Vancouver-Centre NDP candidate Avi Lewis and Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East.
At city hall Wednesday, Sim stood on a podium with Shanken, three rabbis and more than 20 members of the Jewish community as they called for Orr to apologize.
“Some of councillor-elect Orr’s social messaging uses language that clearly incites violence,” Sim told reporters.
“Such language is unacceptable from anyone, let alone someone who's been entrusted with public service and community leadership. As mayor, I will not allow a councillor to divide our city.”
The mayor called on Orr to address the content of his social media posts “directly and transparently,” and apologize for the hurt his words have caused the Jewish community.
"Antisemitism isn't funny, it's not a joke — there's not satire there," Sim said.
Shanken began his remarks by noting the Jewish community has seen a 70 per cent increase in antisemitic incidents since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
“Our community has had to deal with incredible trauma, pain since October 7,” he said.
“Our children have had to walk past police guards and private security to feel safe going to school. Our community centres have had to have more and more security.”
'We are lions'
Shanken called for “an apology and accounting” from Orr and COPE.
“Sean Orr may think we are sheep, but rest assured we are lions — and those who will come against this community will receive the full force of our push to show them that we have a place at this table, we have a place in this community.”
In taking questions from reporters, Shanken said he wasn’t aware of Orr’s social media posts during the recent byelection campaign.
“I want to say that I feel responsible for that,” he said. “We should have been on this earlier. We should have been after him earlier. And for that, we apologize.”
Asked whether he thought Orr should resign, Shanken said: “I can't chart somebody's political path for them. I really can't. I wouldn't even presume to make that decision for him, I would say to the party that nominated him and who put him in place, how could this have not been found?”
'Musician, blogger, dishwasher, socialist'
Over the years, Orr has shared various controversial takes via social media on politics and policing, and has participated in protests, including pushing back against the city-led action in April 2023 to clear sidewalks of tents and people on East Hastings Street.
The activist and writer represented the VOTE Socialist party in the 2022 general civic election and was outspoken about the Vancouver Police Union’s endorsement of the mayor’s ABC Vancouver party.
Orr describes himself on his X social media account as a musician, blogger, dishwasher and socialist.
No date has been set when Orr and Lucy Maloney of OneCity, who was also elected in the byelection, will take the oath of office and be sworn in as councillors.
Council is dominated by Sim and his six ABC Vancouver colleagues, with the Greens represented by Pete Fry.
Rebecca Bligh, who was elected with ABC, has since been expelled from the party and sits as an independent.
The next general civic election is in October 2026.
X/@Howellings
