Vancouver’s newly-elected city councillor Sean Orr is facing mounting calls to resign or apologize after resurfaced social media posts reveal a pattern of comments critics believe are antisemitic and anti-Canadian.  

Among them, a 2021 tweet in which Orr wrote: “Everyone knows Vancouver city planners are controlled by a secret cabal of Jews who have a bunker in the earth’s core fml.”

The Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) condemned the remark, calling it a reference to a “centuries-old antisemitic trope alleging Jewish control of political and economic systems—myths that have fueled discrimination, exclusion, and violence against Jews throughout history.”

Despite deleting the post, Orr did not apologize. Instead, he defended the tweet as a sarcastic quote during an exchange with another user. 

“In 2021, I sarcastically quoted the comedian David Cross while condemning an antisemitic dogwhistle on Twitter,” Orr wrote. “I was defending Karm Sumal against the claim he was a ‘globalist shill.’ I have been outspoken over the years opposing all forms of racism including antisemitism. It’s unfortunate that this was taken out of context and misrepresented.”

But critics are not convinced. B.C. Opposition Leader John Rustad posted on X: “Vancouver’s new City Councillor Sean Orr says a ‘secret cabal of Jews’ controls Vancouver’s Planning Department.”

The Conservative Party of B.C. went further, stating: “This is some of the worst antisemitism we’ve seen from a public official in Vancouver, which is sadly a high bar to cross. But, not only is Sean Orr expressing antisemitic views — he is being specifically antisemitic towards people who he holds a position of authority over in his new workplace at Vancouver City Hall. So now — on his very first day of work at his new job, Sean Orr owes Vancouverites, and especially Vancouver’s Jewish community, an apology for his past antisemitism and comments towards city staff.”

Also under scrutiny is Orr’s response to Israel’s actions following the October 7 Hamas massacre. “Criticizing the far-right Netanyahu government for committing war crimes against civilian populations is the right thing to do,” he wrote.

“Criticizing that is not antisemitism. I agree with Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the United Nations and the International Criminal Court.”

The Jewish Federation responded, accusing Orr of “reckless and inflammatory language” that “not only distorts reality but also endangers Jewish communities by further inflaming antisemitism and denying Israel's right to defend itself.”

Despite the criticism, Orr continues to be defended by far-left groups such as Independent Jewish Voices Vancouver, who released a statement calling him a “leader with the courage to speak uncomfortable truths” and an opponent of what they described as the “politicized weaponization of antisemitism.”

In a further twist, a resurfaced X exchange adds to the concerns about Orr’s political leanings and national loyalty.

In response to an account named "Ammie Bart Simpson" that wrote “I want for the destruction of both Israel and Canada,” screen shots of an account believed to be operated by Sean Orr—bearing his name and image and—responded: “Well... me too son. Me too.”

Newly elected councilman @seanorr believes Israel & Canada should be destroyed, believes in a "Jewish whisper campaign", calls for Palestinian terrorist releases, and believes Iran bombing Tel-Aviv is "Resistance is existence. From Turtle Island to Palestine." pic.twitter.com/QjotkiDjql

— Leviathan (@l3v1at4an) April 9, 2025

According to Juno News, Orr is a self-proclaimed communist who previously sparked controversy by stating that parents don’t have rights over their children—an idea many see as aligned with far-left ideological efforts to erode family authority in favour of state control.

Orr was elected under the Coalition of Progressive Electors banner and received more votes than any other candidate in the Vancouver byelection held last Saturday. But the question now is whether Vancouverites voted for a city councillor—or an activist whose ideology puts international revolution ahead of the residents he was elected to serve.

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