KITCHENER, ONTARIO // Bill Cosby said he had a “wonderful time” and got a standing ovation from Canadian fans at his first show since shows were cancelled in the wake of sexual assault allegations from more than 15 women.
Outside the venue protesters braved below-freezing weather to shame ticket holders as they streamed in for the first of three performances in Ontario on Wednesday.
Cosby’s show at the Centre In The Square theatre in Kitchener was his first since November, when at least 10 performances were cancelled on his North American tour.
Like his last show in Melbourne, Florida on November 21, there were no disruptions during the performance and the crowd laughed throughout.
Wearing a sweater saying “Hello friend”, Cosby, 77, climbed the stage decorated with two giant posters of him with Nelson Mandela.
“First of all, thank you,” he said to the audience, before starting his routine with some cold weather jokes.
He left to a standing ovation that was somewhat slow to start.
“Dear Fans: I would like to personally thank you for giving me the opportunity to bring laughter back into your lives tonight,” Cosby said in a statement after the show.
Some ticket holders had said they would boycott the performance, and the 2,000-seat venue was about two-thirds full. Several police officers and private security guards also attended.
Outside the threatre, more than a dozen protesters carried signs saying “Rape is no joke”. Some shouted, “You support rape” and “Shame on you” at fans. A few protesters blocked the doors of the venue until being asked to leave by security.
* Associated Press
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
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