Concordia

Concordia spends close to $300,000 to replace Hall building windows

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Concordia University has spent close to $300,000 to repair broken windows after vandalism. Photo Alice Martin

Geneviève Sylvestre,
Local Journalism Initiative

The glass was vandalized during a demonstration in September

Concordia University has spent a total of $289,238.01 to conceal and repair broken windows in the lobby of the Henry F. Hall Building. 

Protesters shattered the windows during a demonstration on Sept. 29. The demonstrators had spray-painted pro-Palestine messages on the windows and carried a banner featuring the symbol of anarchy. 

According to information acquired by The Link, Concordia spent $277,262.21 to supply and install new windows and $9,642 on wooden boards to temporarily hide the vandalism. The university also spent $2,333.80 at the Concordia Print Store on black panels to further conceal the damage featuring temporary signage with the Concordia 50th anniversary logo. 

This comes as the university is facing what it refers to as “significant financial difficulties” following the Quebec government’s tuition hikes for English-language universities. 

Concordia has implemented cuts of 7.8 per cent to meet its financial objectives. Some of the cuts have included reducing the shuttle bus service schedule, implementing and maintaining a hiring freeze, and cutting classes with enrolment deemed too low. 

The September demonstration came four days after a student walkout in support of Palestine where police officers aggressively handled students and three protesters were arrested. 

According to Concordia deputy spokesperson Julie Fortier, the university will continue to call on the SPVM when people or events become violent.

“We need the entire community’s collaboration to help us maintain a peaceful study and work environment at Concordia,” Fortier said. “That’s why we called on all community members and groups to denounce violence, including vandalism of our buildings.”

The increase in political demonstrations at the university comes following over a year of genocide in Palestine. At the end of November, over 11,000 students at Concordia and 85,000 students across Montreal went on strike in support of an international university strike movement for Palestine. 

Student demands for the university include: Disclosing and divesting from companies investing in Israel, ending employment partnerships with companies complicit in genocide like Lockheed Martin and Bombardier, and publically condemning the ongoing genocide. 

The Concordia Student Union and nine other student associations have also formerly called for the university and Campus Safety and Prevention Services to end their relationship with the SPVM. 

As of the day of publication, the new Hall building windows no longer display the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 

This article originally appeared in Volume 45, Issue 7, published January 14, 2025.

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CREW begins striking for better pay

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Photo Maria Cholakova

Maria Cholakova,
Local Journalism Initiative

The union accused the university of scabbing on day one of strikes

The Concordia Research and Education Workers Union (CREW) officially began its strike on March 12. The union is demanding that Concordia University increase the wages of its teaching assistants (TAs) and research assistants (RAs). 

On the first day of its strike, the union accused Concordia of encouraging professors to cross picket lines. 

According to Concordia spokesperson Julie Fortier, “the university has been and will continue to comply with all applicable labour legislation.”

The downtown picket line began at 8:00 a.m. and continued until 3:00 p.m. Several speakers from different Confédération des syndicats nationaux unions were present at the strike to encourage and support attendees. 

According to Jason Langford, a member of CREW’s bargaining committee, going on strike was a necessary decision that the union did not take lightly.

Stephen Gnanasihamany, one of CREW’s bargaining officers, addressed the crowd.

“The message from our members is very clear. Our members are in financial crisis,” Gnanasihamany said. “We need immediate relief in the form of an improved wage offer, and nothing else is going to cut it.”

Energy was high during the strike, with members chanting, playing songs and serving food throughout the day. 

CREW members and supporters chanted, “Graham Carr get out, we know what you’re all about,” and “Cuts, job losses, money for the bosses.” 

According to Agustin Rugiero Bader, a CREW member and part-time professor at Concordia, the university needs to respect its workers. 

“It’s very, very important that people feel supported and that they feel that they actually matter inside the community. […] Politics is always about putting your money where your mouth is,” Bader said. “I think Concordia has an opportunity to do that now. I know we’re facing decreased enrolment and things like that, but making the university more inhospitable to students and to workers is never going to be a solution.”

CREW’s strike has no end date yet. On March 13, the union will have a bargaining meeting with the university, where CREW representatives hope a deal will be reached. If bargaining is not successful, the strike will continue. 

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Students rally outside Board of Governors meetings at Concordia and McGill

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Dozens of students gather outside of the Guy-De Maisonneuve Building to pressure the Board of Governors to divest from genocide. Photo Hannah Vogan

India Das-Brown,
Local Journalism Initiative

Students called for the universities to “cut ties with Zionism”

On Feb. 6, several dozen students rallied to protest outside Board of Governors (BoG) meetings at Concordia University and McGill University.

Protesters began gathering around 3:30 p.m. outside the Guy-De Maisonneuve Building to pressure the Concordia BoG to adopt a Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) motion presented by the Concordia Student Union (CSU) to the board. On Jan. 29, over 800 students voted at a special general meeting (SGM) to bring the motion to the BoG. 

The Link was not able to access the “open session” BoG meeting. 

At around 4 p.m. when the meeting was scheduled to start, the Zoom stream to the observers’ room in the Concordia Engineering and Visual Arts (EV) Building crashed due to what an instructional and information technology services technician claimed was an “issue with the stream.”

At this time, the screen read, “The host removed you from the meeting.”

A source on the BoG told The Link that other governors were able to join the meeting on Zoom. The Link was given no other information about the meeting.

At around 4:30 p.m., protesters, followed by around eight SPVM officers on bikes, began marching down Ste. Catherine St. and Sherbrooke St. to McGill. Banners read “Board of Genociders” and “Divest blood money. Shame.” They stopped in front of the James Administration Building, where McGill held its BoG meeting.

Some protesters threw red and black paint on the doors of the administration building. At least seven police officers were standing beside the building, with at least another seven on bikes. 

During the protest, under heavy snowfall, students chanted English, French and Arabic phrases like, “Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest,” and “Israel bombs, Concordia pays, how many kids did you kill today?”

“The students are demanding that our universities follow international law and stop investing in [complicit] companies so that our tuition money isn’t funding this genocide,” said Zaina Karim, a representative from Students for Palestine’s Honour and Resistance (SPHR) McGill.

According to Karim, the students mobilized against McGill and Concordia’s investments in companies that are “complicit in genocide,” like military weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin. 

“I want McGill to divest from military corporations,” said a McGill student who was granted anonymity for fear of academic repercussions.

Both SPHR McGill and Concordia called for the rally to “cut ties with Zionism” in an Instagram post on Jan. 31. The rally was supported by several student organizations at Concordia, including Academics for Palestine, the Quebec Public Interest Research Group at Concordia, Regards Palestiniens, the Sociology and Anthropology Student Union, the Geography Undergraduate Student Society and other groups. 

Nearly 1,000 Concordia undergraduate students attended the SGM on Jan. 29 to vote on two BDS motions presented by the CSU. Over 90 per cent of students in attendance voted in favour of both motions. 

The first motion called on the CSU to advocate for the university to divest from companies complicit in genocide, to defend student activists from sanctions, and to declare support for a full arms embargo. The motion named Bombardier, Lockheed Martin and Airbus, among others. 

The second motion called on the CSU executive team to bring the contents of the first motion to a vote at the BoG meeting on Feb. 6. 

Karim said she believes that university presidents should listen to their student’s demands. 

“All they do is, they threaten their students by calling the police on them,” Karim said.

Earlier on Feb. 6, the Concordia administration sent an email to the CSU, informing the union that the university has opened an investigation into the Jan. 29 SGM and suspended all CSU bookings. 

In response to the university’s email, another student who was granted anonymity for fear of academic repercussions said Concordia was not receptive to student demands.

“It shows that it’s important to get out in the streets because through the university, there’s no way,” the student said. “They don’t listen to us.” 

A day after the rally, on Feb. 7, SPHR released another statement calling out Concordia and McGill for failing to divest and for suspending student associations. 

“Instead of divesting, the Concordia and McGill administrations have sanctioned and threatened the CSU, PSS, QPIRG McGill, and suspended both SPHRs for standing with Palestine,” reads the statement.

The protest cleared out at around 5:30 p.m. at the McGill Metro Station.

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Fate in divine hands

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For Tchida, her spiritual belief were an integral part of her basketball journey, especially after a bad injury. Photo Caroline Marsh

Jared Lackman-Mincoff,
Local Journalism Initiative

Stingers women’s basketball team members put special trust in their God.

The Concordia University Stingers women’s basketball team is not your run-of-the-mill basketball team.

Your run-of-the-mill basketball team hypes each other up in the moments leading up to the start of a game, encouraging one another and getting focused on their opponent. The Stingers women’s basketball team, on the other hand, adds a moment of prayer to that, eyes closed and heads down.

Your run-of-the-mill basketball team digs in immediately during team meals. The Stingers women’s basketball team takes a moment to say grace.

Your run-of-the-mill basketball team praises each other after a win, and thanks all their teammates for their hard work. The Stingers women’s basketball team is likely thanking someone else, too.

“ They know that I’m a believer. I don’t shy away from making that known because I do believe it’s important to believe in something and to believe that there’s a higher power watching over you, protecting you, guiding you,” head coach Tenicha Gittens said.

Gittens attended Sunday school at her Protestant church growing up because her parents wanted her to be immersed in her religion. But as she got older, life got in the way and she found herself distanced from her religion—albeit unintentionally.

“Basketball, for example, we’d have games on Sundays, so I wouldn’t attend church as often on a Sunday because I’m busy with basketball or something like that,” Gittens said. “So as you get older and you start to do other things, it pulls you away.”

Despite these conditions, Gittens started making a conscious effort to get closer to God. It has become a part of her daily routine, and even finds its way onto John Dore Court.

“I don’t go to church every Sunday or anything like that, but I do take time out of my day to give thanks, to pray,” Gittens said. “I’m always praying at some point. I’ll be praying when I’m on the bench, coaching on the sideline.”

The players on her team are certainly aware of Gittens’s passion towards her faith.

In fact, even fifth-year guard Dalyssa Fleurgin knew how important faith was to Gittens before she joined the team two years ago. Fleurgin transferred to Concordia from Ontario Tech University for the 2023-24 season.

“ This is one of the reasons why I committed to Concordia for my last two years,” Fleurgin said, “because we share some similar values with [Gittens] and the fact that she believes in God was one of the big ones.”

Fleurgin attended church regularly when she was young, but also gradually stopped as she aged. At a certain point, she decided to start attending church again and got baptized in 2017. 

She often prays and talks to God, and she reads her Bible every day.

Since joining the Stingers, she has found connections with other team members who share her passion and belief in a higher power. It has made her feel right at home.

“It gives us something more that we can believe in all together, knowing that I’m not the only one who believes in God,” Fleurgin said.

One of those teammates is fourth-year centre Serena Tchida.

Tchida considers herself a “baby Christian.” She has always believed in a higher power but only started deeply connecting with God roughly two years ago.

“ I’m still, like, growing in faith,” Tchida said. “I don’t think I’m there yet. I don’t think there’s a way to get there, but I’m still growing in baby steps.”

Her relationship with God hit a speed bump when she tore her Achilles tendon during the 2022-23 season and had to sit on the sidelines for the entire second half of the campaign.

“I got mad at God because I couldn’t find anything [else] because it wasn’t rational for me: popping your Achilles during a random Thursday game doing a move that I usually do every day,” Tchida said.

Tchida eventually understood that her injury was simply part of her journey, and stopped looking for a reason to understand why it happened. She dedicated her energy to putting in the work to recover, and believing that everything would work out.

She still applies that attitude today, by “just trusting the work that I put in,” Tchida said. “And then trusting that God is going to make things work for me and being conscious of doing the right thing.”

Furthermore, Tchida appreciates that Gittens understands the importance of her faith. Before the current season began, Gittens allowed Tchida to miss practice to attend a spiritual retreat.

“She understood because she knows that I’m growing in my faith and that I’m learning, I’m still in my process with God,” Tchida said.

Gittens says that she and Tchida share a favourite Bible verse, Jeremiah 29:11, and that she connects deeply with Tchida and Fleurgin because of their strong passion for their faith.

A big reason for that is how vocal Tchida and Fleurgin are about their beliefs.

“They’re OK expressing that, whether it be via social media or otherwise,” Gittens said.

Gittens has been at the helm of the Stingers women’s basketball team since 2015, but because of her connection with God, she does not believe that her job is to simply coach basketball.

“I was put in a position of leadership and God opened the doors for me,” Gittens said. “That’s my belief, and it’s given me the opportunity to lead young women.”

Although Gittens loves to win and hates to lose, God also helped her realize that basketball is not the be-all and end-all.

“ I’m a competitor 24/7/365, but I know that it’s not all there is to it,” Gittens said. “And if my happiness or my faith or my sense of value and purpose is literally based on the big wins or the big losses, I wouldn’t be a very happy person.”

Gittens’s strong belief definitely rubbed off on Tchida, and Tchida feels she is better off because of it.

“This program really helped me get closer to God,” Tchida said, “and I’m really grateful for that.”

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Concordia puts political correctness above security

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By Dan Laxer and Beryl Wajsman, Editor
The Suburban

The Suburban wanted to know why there was no police intervention in last Thursday’s break-in to Concordia by antisemitic and pro-Palestinian mobs where security personnel were assaulted and property on many floors damaged and destroyed.

We put out emails and calls to Concordia Security, to Concordia media relations, and to Graham Carr, the university’s president, as well as to SPVM officers and media personnel. We asked whether security personnel called police for help when the Hall Building was broken into. If they did, what was the SPVM’s response, and if they did not call, why not.

Concordia spokesperson Vannina Maestracci answered that the SPVM were indeed on-hand “around campus. In consultation with them we decided not to request an intervention when protestors entered the Hall Building. We did not feel police presence at that stage would have helped to de-escalate the situation, especially as some seemed to want to provoke a confrontation with our agents and police and the disruption could have actually been longer with an intervention. The protestors did indeed leave after 20 minutes or so.” A source familiar with the situation said there was concern in the Concordia administration that police intervention may have given a “victory” to the demonstrators who would have called it suppression of the right to demonstrate. No distinction was drawn between demonstration of expression and destruction of property.

A statement by Provost and Vice President Anne Whitelaw, and Vice-President for Services and Sustainability Michael Di Grappa sent to The Suburban states, “We are writing to condemn in the strongest possible terms the antisemitic events that took place outside Concordia last week. On Thursday, November 21, during student strike activities, a demonstrator made the Nazi salute and referenced the ‘final solution’ in front of a group of counter protesters on the corner of Mackay and De Maisonneuve streets.These despicable words and gestures, which were clearly intended to intimidate members of our community, are completely unacceptable. We will not tolerate hate speech on our campuses. University personnel are actively working with law enforcement to ensure everyone involved is held fully accountable for their criminal acts and/or violations of the Code of Rights and Responsibilities. We ask all Concordians to stand up against hate, intimidation and violence — showing unequivocally that antisemitism has no place at our university.

SPVM spokesperson Mélanie Bergeron responded to The Suburban as follows, “Last Thursday, around noon, student demonstrations in support of Palestine took place at Concordia University, Dawson College and McGill University. Students demonstrated in the streets and marched towards Concordia University. Around 2:15 p.m., the demonstrators entered a building at Concordia University. Police officers from the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) were present to support the security of the institution. An assault was committed against a security guard and graffiti was painted inside the building. University security officers took charge of the demonstrators and deemed that our presence was not necessary. The demonstrators stayed for about an hour and then resumed their march in the streets. An investigation is currently being conducted by the SPVM to establish the circumstances of the misdeeds and the assault. For more information on this event, we invite you to contact Concordia University.” n

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Loyola collaborative garden creates “beautiful space”

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By Joel Ceausu
The Suburban

Mind, heart, mouth.

The connection between the three is undeniable, with no better example of it in play than a garden. Specifically, the mind.heart.mouth garden at Concordia’s Loyola campus that welcomes volunteers three times a week.

Working the soil, examining leaves, caring for fruits, and watching for pests is done by dedicated volunteers; students, interns and a small army of seniors from NDG’s New Hope Senior Centre in the Full Circle Garden project partnership that has spanned four seasons.

Every volunteer shift, seniors leave with a share of the bounty, and it can be bountiful: last year they grew 4,200 lbs. of organic vegetables, says New Hope director Evita Karasek. “No pesticides, and a lot of hands to grow such beautiful produce.” For example, “the Swiss Chard is perfect because someone has examined its leaves for days, so the quality is extremely high, the nutritional value is incredible.”

“We grow everything that we can,” said garden project coordinator Andrea Tremblay, whose PhD research looks at using nature-based social and community labs to explore ways to increase resilience in marginalized communities. That means “all the basics: carrots, onions, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, squash, broccoli have been a big success. So have kale, Swiss Chard, beats, cabbage, beans, radishes and of course lettuce.”

From May to the end of October, some 20 older adults from New Hope have signed up to come for their Wednesday shifts, with about a dozen regulars doing a variety of tasks each week. The harvest serves four streams: students and senior volunteers; ingredients for New Hope’s Meals on Wheels program (delivering some 400 monthly meals) and in-house lunch programs; and 20 weekly vegetable baskets. Karasek says this intergenerational initiative distinguishes itself in many ways, especially its inclusivity. “It’s open to people with any mobility level. Some plant beds are accommodating for wheelchairs, raised beds for people with issues bending and other limitations.”

That’s precisely the point, says Tremblay, who launched the project in 2019 using garden-based pedagogy to increase awareness and greater connections with natural environments. It started out to combat food insecurity, which 40% of Canadian post-secondary students live with. “There’s no better lesson than experiential learning. That means people getting their hands dirty. Literally.”

Karasek says people of all ages have suffered food insecurity, especially with the rise of inflation since Covid. “Prices are incredibly high for nutrient-rich locally-grown produce. And this is such a beautiful community space for people to be in. People relate, participate, they create bonds and talk about food and preparation. It’s intergenerational and cultural.”

Tremblay’s goal is for people to feel empowered by the work they do in the garden, and to not feel limited. It’s also very valuable for seniors who once may have had a garden but no longer have the energy required to keep one. “Social engagement is one of the biggest takeaways. For six years it’s always been the community social aspects that form in the garden. People talk, especially when New Hope comes on Wednesdays. We really want it to be a space of community working with the students and the seniors.” The program also involves other groups, including Gay & Grey and Bienvenue à NDG.

“It’s more than just a place to grow food,” says Karasek. “It’s about learning, creating a community hub.” Learning indeed. Tremblay herself had no official horticultural training. “I just learned by doing,” she laughs, “like most everybody else. And I sort of became an expert because I’m there every day!”

Check out the gardens at Loyola campus, behind Hingston Hall at the end of Terrebonne. n

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Concordia Flag Football Tournament takes over Stingers Dome

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Concordia flag football team lines up pre-snap. Photo Alice Martin

Conor Tomalty,
Local Journalism Initiative

Third annual Concordia Flag Football Tournament wraps up 2024 season

The dull, lifeless aesthetic of the Concordia Stingers dome was illuminated with vibrant spirit on April 7, as the Concordia Flag Football team held their third annual Concordia University Flag Football Tournament.

The dull, lifeless aesthetic of the Concordia Stingers dome was illuminated with vibrant spirit on April 7, as the Concordia Flag Football team held their third annual Concordia University Flag Football Tournament.

Twenty teams from high schools, CEGEPs and universities across Quebec entered through rotating dome doors to participate in this year’s tournament. The event was organized by the Concordia team, who set up multiple booths of sponsors, such as Invictus Gloves, and Grit Protein water, to sell merchandise. The tournament is a main source of financing for the team given their non-varsity status. 

“It means the world to us,” said Concordia receiver and organizer Amélie Brisebois Bentler. “We’re players paying for this, all of this from our pockets. We’re students, all full-time students […] if we can get sponsors to help us out it goes a really long way.”

As it currently stands, flag football does not have a league inside the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), according to Concordia head coach Alexis Labonté. The RSEQ initially gave a three-year trial period in 2021 but has extended it to four years, meaning that the flag teams will have to wait one more season before varsity status, and proper funding will be met.

“It’s a big year next year,” said Labonté. “It’s crazy because we are still recruiting as if we are a Stinger team, but we’re not. The girls have a mindset that the project’s going to work, it’s going to be a varsity team.” 

Members of the team hold out hope for a league to be formed soon. In the meantime, the growth of the sport itself is marvellous.

“When I graduated CEGEP, I was unsure if I would continue or if my journey was over. Now, I’m in my third year here,” said Concordia receiver Amy Deuel. Deuel added that with the addition of flag football set to debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the sport has received a surge in participation. “It brings a lot of energy. More girls want to play. Every year we have more and more girls, so it’s super fun.” 

The tournament also signified the last round of games for the Concordia team for the season. It was also a swan song for members leaving the team. 

“It’s a rollercoaster,” said Deule. “[Amélie] has a big part in the tournament, contacting all the teams, making the schedule. This year, she’s given a lot of roles to all of us because she’s sadly leaving.”   

“It’s bittersweet. I think I’ve done my time, in a sense,” said Brisebois Bentler. “It’s a hard piece to swallow, to be leaving that in people’s hands.”

Brisebois-Bentler touched upon the growth of the team since its inception back in 2021. “I was there from building the team from the ground up, so it’s really like leaving my little baby to someone else, but it’s going to be in good hands for sure.” 

By the end of the day, the three tournament winners were crowned. For the high school division, the Citadins won over the Voltigeurs 14-0; The collegiate division, which was divided into two winners, the Collège Montmorency Nomades and the Cégep Édouard-Montpetit Lynx won their championships 14-3 and 7-6 respectively; The university winners were the Citadins, hailing from the Université du Québec à Montreal, winning over the Université de Montreal Les Bleues 20-12.    

The Concordia team themselves found success in the 2023-24 campaign. The team finished with a record of 11-1, captured the provincial championship for the first time in the team’s history, and won the Université Laval tournament in February. 

The garnered success helps with recruitment, according to Labonté. The majority of flag programs at the collegiate level stem from French CEGEPs, according to Labonté. Given that Concordia is an English university, winning makes it an attractive destination for athletes looking to make the jump to the next level.

“It’s kind of a loop, eh? If you do well, if you promote yourself well, if you show that you’re a good team, well, people will be engaged to come to your team,” Labonté said.

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Concordia vandalized after demonstration

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Henry F. Hall Building windows smashed following demonstration on Sept. 29. Photo Alice Martin

Alice Martin,
Local Journalism Initiative

Demonstrators smashed windows and threw Molotov cocktails at police officers

During the evening of Sept. 29, the lobby windows of Concordia’s Henry F. Hall Building were shattered as part of a demonstration and march organized by autonomous students.

Demonstrators also spray-painted pro-Palestine messages like “Free Gaza” and “C = Complicit” on the windows of the Hall building lobby. As they marched, demonstrators also held a banner that read “Hope lies in the fight” with an anarchy symbol next to the message.

Around 50 demonstrators had gathered on De Maisonneuve Blvd. for an “impromptu demonstration,” according to SPVM spokesperson Jean-Pierre Brabant. He said the windows were broken using blunt objects like baseball bats and hammers.

Four arrests were made on the scene, police later identified the arrestees to be in their 20s. The demonstrators were released without charges conditional to the results of an ongoing investigation.

“I am extremely concerned about the violent escalation of recent protests,” said Concordia President and Vice-Chancellor Graham Carr in a statement sent out to students on Sept. 30. “Concordia students, faculty and staff can certainly express themselves in a civil and respectful manner, but we cannot, as a community, tolerate intimidation or hatred in any form on our campuses.”

Montreal police arrived on site after 911 calls reported broken windows at the university, but by then demonstrators had already begun walking down De la Montagne St. The march continued down Sainte-Catherine St., with demonstrators breaking the windows of multiple store fronts, according to Brabant.

The SPVM representative said that multiple police officers attempted to scatter protestors who were committing criminal acts, with some officers chasing after demonstrators.

“During the pursuit, demonstrators threw at least two Molotov cocktails and incendiary objects in the direction of the police officers,” Brabant said. He added that no one was hurt in the demonstration.

According to videos circulating on social media and shared by accounts such as @clash.mtl on instagram, fireworks were also set off during the march.

“We will aim to gather evidence and see with surveillance cameras if we can find any information to know who did what and if anyone committed criminal acts,” Brabant said.

According to police, the demonstration died down at around 11 p.m. 

In his statement, Carr said that Concordia is assessing the events and will take “appropriate action” in accordance with the university’s Code of Rights and Responsibilities.

This event follows a Sept. 25 pro-Palestine student walkout where Concordia students demanded the university divest from Israel. The walkout saw severe police intervention, as well as three arrests.

This article originally appeared in Volume 45, Issue 3, published October 1, 2024.

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Oberman testifies at Commons Committee on antisemitism

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Lawyer Neil Oberman, the senior partner at Spiegel Sohmer who has succeeded in obtaining six injunctions to move anti-Israel protests 50 metres from Jewish community institutions, testified last week in Ottawa at the House of Commons Justice Committee regarding the antisemitism that is rampant in Canada, particularly on many university campuses.

Oberman has also served legal warnings on McGill and Concordia demanding action be taken by them to deal with antisemitism on campus. “As a lawyer and a supporter of my community, I think the need for this committee in 2024 goes to show how some of our Canadian values have deteriorated,” Oberman told the committee. “I want to express my concern with the rise in antisemitism that has been documented by various organizations and agencies. Antisemitism is not a thing of the past, but a present and growing threat to our society [and is] not only a problem for Jewish people, but for everyone who values human rights, democracy, and pluralism.”

Oberman also told the committee that “many members of our community have experienced intimidation, hate, bullying and aggression because they are Jewish. When people yell out ‘From the river to the sea’ and ‘intifada,’ all it does is create an atmosphere of aggression towards an identifiable community, which knows exactly what it is supposed to mean.”

The lawyer said numerous examples of antisemitism have been brought to his attention, including a “student being beaten in elementary school by classmates for not supporting Palestine, and when the teacher witnesses it, she encourages the beating; antisemitic student newspapers on campus promoting hatred by propagating tropes; antisemitic graffiti on campuses; a Concordia University group attacking students for being Jewish”, the protests and blockades leading to a need for an injunction to protect local Jewish community institutions “a Jewish teacher being targeted for having a friend who used to be in the IDF and then being subject to a protest outside of her school while she was teaching and a change.org petition for her employer to fire her,” and “Jewish students being harassed by teachers on CEGEP campuses to donate money to organizations that promote hatred.”

Oberman said intimidation on university campuses, CEGEPs and other academic institutions “is in my view the most serious matter facing our community today. “The young people of our community are part of the future and are currently being targeted because they are Jewish. When you discourage, intimidate, bully, and instill fear in a student, you in effect break their morale and impact their ability to want to stay in the community and grow with the community for the future. There is still hope, there is still a bright future, but we must collaborate as one to ensure that hatred does not overcome our Canadian values.” n

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