City councillor apologizes for linking ‘rights violations’ to criticism of oilman
Coun. Jeff Davison has apologized for invoking current conversations about discrimination and “human rights violations that are happening” to make a point about criticism of a Calgary businessman.
Dozens of Calgarians weighed in at city council’s Green Line committee Monday, with oilman Jim Gray adding his voice late in the evening. Gray is part of an “ad hoc committee” asking council to scrap plans to tunnel the LRT expansion underground and travel over the Bow River. The group has hired a communications firm and purchased online ads to promote their ideas.
Gray told councillors, “You will be remembered as the council that made the biggest mistake in Calgary’s history” by approving the current Green Line plans.
After Gray spoke, Davison used the time councillors usually have to ask questions to apologize to
Gray for “all the nasty things people have been saying” about him.
Some have criticized Gray’s group for pushing ideas that they say would hurt the city’s ability to build more LRT in the future, or promoting construction plans that city officials say are unworkable.
“I want to let you know that at a time when we are currently in this city standing up for freedom of speech for all, the human rights violations that are happening, I find it completely hypocritical that some of my colleagues would say things in social media and in the media that reflect your character, while they stand to say, ‘But I stand for human rights,’” Davison said.
The Ward 6 councillor’s words were immediately met with outrage on social media, and at least one of Davison’s colleagues, Coun. Gian-carlo Carra, publicly called for an apology.
Davison’s comments follow days of protests calling for justice across the U.S. and Canada after George
Floyd, a black man, died in Minneapolis after a white police officer pinned Floyd down with his knee to Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes.
Earlier Monday, thousands of people marched through downtown Calgary in a Black Lives Matter protest, and converged in front of city hall to speak out against anti-black racism.
In a series of tweets Tuesday morning, Davison said he now feels badly about what he said, and it was wrong to “conflate the important discussion we are having as a community” with what he called “cheap shots” being taken at Gray.
“I hope you will give me a chance to show that I am serious about working with all members of our community to make this a place of opportunity and fairness for everyone,” Davison said.
Mayor Naheed Nenshi added his thoughts on Twitter in a lengthy thread Tuesday afternoon.
He said people of colour have been advocating and protesting “decade after decade ... And yet, for so many, while so much has changed, it has not changed enough.”
The mayor also directly addressed Davison’s words.
“Late last night, one of my Council colleagues seemed to casually tie criticism of powerful people with systemic racism,” Nenshi said. “He didn’t mean it, but the ease with which it came out was shocking.”
Davison read out his apology in council chambers Tuesday morning.
“I’m not perfect, but I can assure you I am listening and I will be a better ally,” he said.