CITIZEN'S GROUP EXPOSES REASONS

Behind racist violence

TORONTO — Racial violence,
nurtured in the desperation and
boredom of unemployment and
fed by outside fascist forces
threatened, during August, to
engulf the St. Jamestown, On-
tario Housing Development Pro-
ject (on the northeast outskirts
of Metro Toronto).

However the majority of the
community who saw through
the activities of these outside
forces, rallied around their com-
munity and prevented a violent
confrontation of a scope to de-
stroy the community.

From a kids’ squabble over a
marbles game: an ugly situation
developed between white and
Black youths in the project.

Four days of gang-fighting
threatened to tear the commun-
ity apart until the Thistletown

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Guard hate slogans

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appeared across Toronto against

Citizens Action Group (TAG)
stepped in to organize mass
rallies of all the community’s
citizens, which denounced the
racist activities of a handful of
bigots in the project who were
adding fuel to the fire.

The meetings were also critical
of the mass media’s sensational-
izing of the unfortunate events.

Singled out in particular was
the sensational and inflamatory
coverage given to the incidents

‘by the Toronto Sun, whose cov-

erage “‘added to dangers of new
violence.”

Inter-Racial Committee

The mass meetings establish-—
ed a joint inter-racial committee
composed in the main of the
leaders of the groups who were
previously fighting each other.

Blacks, Jews, Communists with little or no opposition from police.

Zionist circles continue their
attacks on the USSR. A recent
meeting in Paris (with Canada
taking part) discussed “harsh
new measures” against Jews in
the Soviet Union with a confer-
ence planned for Brussels in
February. The campaign is well-
orchestrated and well-financed
with the aim of sabotaging the
new moves toward detente
achieved recently in Helsinki.

How do Soviet Jews live?
What is their life like? Who

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Lately some quarters outside
the Soviet Union are making
great use of the so-called Jewish

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—SEPTEMBER 12, 1975—Page 8 -
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problem in the USSR to whip up
anti-Sovietism. What is your
comment?

There are more than two mil-
lion Jews in the USSR, but no
“Jewish problem” exists. Just as
citizens of any other nationality,
Jews have the same rights and
enjoy all the privileges which a
socialist society provides its
members. In accordance with
Article 123 of the USSR Consti-
tution “any direct or indirect
restriction of the rights of, or,
conversely, the establishment of
any direct or indirect privileges
for, citizens on account of their
race or nationality, as well as

any advocacy ‘of racial or natio- -

nal exclusiveness or hatred and
contempt, are punishable by
law.”

How do persons of Jewish
nationality in practice realize

their rights in receiving work or °

in enrolling in educational estab-
lishments? 2

The same as every citizen of
the USSR of any nationality. I
would like to draw a comparison
which most eloquently shows
that there can be no talk of dis-
crimination against the Jewish
people in the Soviet Union.
Jews account for approximately
1% of the USSR population;
their percentage among scienti-
fic workers, masters and doctors
of science is considerably higher.
The percentage of Jews with a
higher education in the USSR is
several time that of a number
of other nationalities. :

Does the same hold true for
other spheres of Soviet reality
as well?

This is undoubtedly the case.
There are some 8,000 Jews
among the deputies of the USSR

‘ white: youths

Its aim is to head off any more.
troublesome incidents.

The Thistletown Citizen’s Ac-
tion Group (TAG) was the guid-
ing light behind the concilliatory
moves which allowed the major-
ity of the residents to resolve
the problem.

TAG is a tenant’s group which

operates in ward 4 in Etobicoke .

and has succeeded in organizing
all of the 1,060 public housing
units in the ward.

TAG spokesman Jerry McKin-
ney, in an interview with the
Tribune said that racial animo-
sity in the St. Jamestown area
was building. up over a period
of time. He attributed the final
outbreak to the economic condi-
tions of many of the residents as
a result of growing unemploy-
ment which leave Black and
idle and bored
with nothing better to do than
hang around the project.

Job Crisis at Fault

_Despite numerous programs
organized by TAG, some with
the help of government grants,
these programs only alleviated
the problem and were not a

substitute for steady and mean-

ingful employment for youth. In
his opinion what was needed

- was a solution to the job crisis.

In regard to outside fascist
provocation McKinney said that
“the Western Guard were deli-
berately trying to forment viol-
ence in St. Jamestown”, and he
pointed out that at their first
rally on Augt. 13, the residents
of St. Jamestown condemned all

Supreme Soviet, of the Supreme
Soviets of the Union Republics
and of the local Soviets. They
are also to be found among min-
isters, executives of major ad-
ministrations and factories. The
Soviet state highly values the
contribution made by other citi-
zens of the USSR in developing
the economy, science and cul-
ture; their participation in pub-
lic and political life. Some
340,000 Jews have been decorat-
ed with orders and medals of
the USSR; 117 have received the
title of Hero of the Soviet Union
and 80 — that of Hero of So-
cialist Labor. The title of Lenin
Prize Laureate has been award-
ed to 120 Jews — 11% of the
total number of prize winners.
State Prizes of the USSR have
been received by 1,460 Jews —
13% of the total number.

What are the opportunities of
Soviet Jews to satisfy their cul-
tural requirements?

The paper Birobidjaner Shtern
and the monthly literary maga-
zine Sovetish Heimland are pub-
lished in Yiddish in our country.
Fiction and other literary works
of Jewish authors are published
in large editions. Jewish drama
and musical ensembles and ama-
teur art collectives are active in
many Soviet cities including
Moscow, Leningrad, Birobidjan,
Vilnius, and Chernovitsy.

How do you, nevertheless, ex-

plain the fact that a certain part —

of the Jewish population has left
the Soviet Union and emigrated
to Israel?

The overwhelming majority of
Soviet Jows do not even imagine
their fate isolated from the
USSR, their real Motherland. At
the same time, due to a number

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acts of terror committed by this
gang. :

In addition to the taped tele-
phone message used by the
Western Guard, which praises
the few bigots in the project it-

self, the fascists were busy dis-

tributing their hate literature in
the housing complex, and carry-
ing on cowardly harrassment of
McKinney and his family on the
telephone, thretening their per-
sonal safety.” :
Reaction to the activities of
this gang by the overwhelming
majority of the project’s resi-
dents was swift and sharp.
When the Western Guard
tried to distribute their material
in the area recently, some of the
youths who had been involved in
the trouble, not only refused to

_ accept their poison, but forced

the thugs to leave the project.
McKinney singled out the
Metro Toronto Labor Council

of reasons and, in the first place,
that of some Jewish families be-
ing disunited as a result of the
Second World War, religious
views, and also due to unbridled
Zionist propaganda, a number of
persons of Jewish nationality ex-

‘pressed their desire to leave the

USSR.

Despite all the efforts of world
Zionism, there hasn’t been nor
is there any mass desire on the
part of persons of Jewish natio-
nality to leave the USSR. Dur-
ing the past 30 years, 114,600
Jews, children included, left the
USSR. This is a very insignific-
ant figure compared with the
number of Jews who arrived in
Israel from other countries. It
should be recalled that during
the post-war period some 1.5
million people have emigrated to
Israel.

Lately, the number of people
applying for emigration to Israel.
has noticeably dropped. Accord-
ing to the: press, some 16,000
persons of Jewish nationality ar-
rived in Israel from the USSR
in 1974 — 50% less than in 1973.
As of July 1, 1975, only 1,480
emigration applications have
been received.

Are there certain restrictions
as far. as emigration from the
USSR is concerned?

This is absolutely true. These
restrictions concern persons
who have received special mili-
tary training, who are employed
in defence industries and, due to
their activities, have access to
confidential material. The con-
sent of other members of the
family, who are legally entitled
to the care and material support
of persons wishing to emigrate
from the USSR, is also taken

May 24, 1975. Concerned Toronto citizens marched on Africa :
Liberation Day against growing racist provocations by ultra-rig
groups and official government policies.

‘cement, lime, paper,

and Local 767 of CUPE, which
the bargaining unit for the care
takers in the public housiné
projects, as examples of labor
support for the residents’ strue |
gle. j

Local 767 in_ particular,
said, was very helpful both
terms of issuing public stat
ments condemning the troub
makers, as well as in its offer
supply personnel to help out. —

TAG is now calling for th)
establishment of a larger and
broader committee which would |
include representatives from the)
labor movement and public, ®|
well as private tenants and othe) -
organizations and individuals |
They would propose recomme? |
dations to the federal and pr’
vincial governments to tack’ |
and try to. solve the unemploy |”
ment and housing crises as W& |
as the other economic difficul)
ties.

—
_ 4

into account. This is in full a
cord with international law,
particular, with the correspond
ing stipulations in the Interna
tional Pact on civil and politic? |
rights. Nevertheless, I would li¥, |
to stress that more than 95%
those applying for emigration a
Israel are permitted to leave thé
country. : ‘|
Could you say a few words
about the Jewish Autonomo |
Region today? é y
The Region was set up on Ma.
7; 1934. Jews, in the same wa.
as other peoples in the SO
state, received the right to
tional ®:,self-determination.
region is in the Soviet Far E4
It spreads out along the A
River, in the divide betwee”
two tributaries — the Bira ®
the Bidjan.
In the past this area was ©?
ered with dense forests. T
the region has 50 large in
trial establishments putting
rice-grain and silo self-prope”” |
caterpillar. harvester combiN®’| |
power transformers, timber, ¥) |
furnitule
gat
com |

knitted goods, ready-made
ments, footwear and other
sumer goods. a

Agriculture is successfully d st
veloping. We grow soya é
wheat, barley, oats, potator”
and an entire range of
tables. We have a develop
mal husbandry. Aa

The Jewish, Russian and a
Ukrainian population of (4)
multi-national region lead 2 fy
life. One in every three pers ),| °
of the region studies. We )#..
our own authors who write |
Yiddish — B. Miller, I. Brom
man, G. Babinkov, L. shkol
and N. Freedman, to ment
but a few.

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