CBC disciplined Jewish journalist who filmed anti-Israel protest during Yom Kippur

The Independent Press Gallery (IPG) issued a sharp condemnation on Saturday of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) following reports that the public broadcaster pulled veteran journalist Neil Herland off the air and subjected him to disciplinary proceedings.

The action against Herland stemmed from his documentation of an anti-Israel demonstration outside a Yom Kippur service held by The Song Shul.

The controversy began when Herland, an award-winning Jewish journalist and producer for CBC, attended Yom Kippur services organized by The Song Shul at the Meridian Arts Center in north Toronto.

Upon arriving, Herland found a crowd of approximately two dozen pro-Palestinian demonstrators staging a protest outside. In a thread on his personal X/Twitter account, Herland described his experience arriving at the location.

He wrote: “I’m a journalist. And I happen to be Jewish. On Yom Kippur I went to a synagogue service in Toronto and was met by protesters trying to taunt and intimidate me from entering the building.”

Protesters called attendees 'baby killer[s]'

Video footage shared alongside his posts showed protesters using megaphones to direct hostile slogans at attendees, shouting phrases including “Zionist alert,” “baby killer,” and “You’re going to hell.”

Herland’s post quickly amassed millions of views, with the veteran journalist expressing personal dismay regarding rising hostility toward Jewish communities in Canada and noting the heavy security presence required for religious services.

Following the circulation of the footage, the activist group Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) filed a formal complaint with the public broadcaster on Wednesday.

CJPME alleged that Herland was “telling a demonstrable lie to defame pro-Palestine activists,” arguing that Herland was actually on his way to the Meridian Arts Center to hear a speech by Mark Regev, Israel’s former Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Social media users reported that The Song Shul held its Yom Kippur service at the Meridian Arts Center in north Toronto this year. The congregation’s website says it is “volunteer-driven” with “a very low overhead structure and no building fund obligations.” The Song Shul did not respond to a request for confirmation by the time of publication.

After the CJPME complaint was lodged, Herland was pulled off the air and called to a disciplinary hearing by CBC management, according to local reports.

IPG condemns CBC for punishing journalists for 'doing their jobs'

Stepping into the controversy, the IPG issued a statement condemning the public broadcaster’s actions. In its official statement, the IPG emphasized the fundamental nature of reporting, stating, “Recording events in a public place and reporting them to the public is not misconduct. It is journalism.”

The IPG continued, “After the activist group Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) filed a complaint accusing him of ‘disinformation,’ Herland was reportedly pulled off the air and called to a disciplinary hearing.” IPG added, “It is not the role of a public broadcaster to punish its journalists for doing their jobs to appease activist groups. Its role is to defend their right to report.”

The IPG also highlighted that broader implications extend beyond individual newsroom politics: “Neil Herland is not a member of the IPG. But press freedom is not a membership benefit. It belongs to every journalist and every Canadian, as guaranteed by Section 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”

Concluding its statement, the press gallery issued a direct call to action across the Canadian media landscape: “The IPG is speaking up for Mr. Herland. We call on his own union, the Canadian Media Guild, as well as the Canadian Association of Journalists and the Parliamentary Press Gallery, to do the same.”

Many on social media have amplified the IPG’s warnings and criticized CBC over the disciplinary measures against Herland.