Maria Cholakova

McGill contracts private security firm to dismantle pro-Palestine encampment

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

McGill hires private security firm to dismantle pro-Palestine encampment. Courtesy Cheï Lévesque

Maria Cholakova,
Local Journalism Initiative

Dozens of students and advocates call out McGill and its allies for the demolition

On July 10, after more than 70 days since its establishment, McGill University’s pro-Palestine encampment was dismantled by a private security firm hired by the university.

The private security firm entered the encampment early in the morning and began its demolition. Bulldozers and trucks entered McGill’s campus. Additionally, a large number of police officers—some wearing riot gear—were seen by campers on site on horseback and bicycles as early as 4:45 a.m.

Between 4:46 a.m. and 7:42 a.m., individuals in the encampment were “advised three times that they would be escorted off campus if they did not leave of their own accord,” according to McGill’s Emergency Operations Centre. The majority of the 35 campers present were escorted out. 

The university’s campus was shut down for the day and blocked off by police.

At 1:15 p.m., McGill’s Emergency Operations Centre announced that the encampment’s dismantlement was largely completed. 

According to Montreal police media relations officer Jean-Pierre Brabant, the police were present only for support and made one arrest of a man for assaulting a police officer. 

Concordia professor Ted Rutland said the police’s presence should not be overlooked. 

“McGill has managed to negotiate […] a side agreement with the police because the police role here is essential. I don’t think the security firm would be doing [the dismantlement] without police protection,” said Rutland. “The idea that the police aren’t involved in this is misleading. They are here, they are enabling this.”

In a press statement, McGill’s President and Vice-Chancellor Deep Saini stated that the “camp was not a peaceful protest. It was a heavily fortified focal point for intimidation and violence, organized largely by individuals who are not part of our university community.”

Saini alleged that a firm the university hired to investigate the encampment discovered two overdoses, syringes, illegal narcotics being sold, rat infestations and fire risks, including a propane canister and flammable materials next to the tents.

Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) McGill has denied claims about the presence of illegal drugs at the encampment, claiming that the university is leading a defamation campaign against its own students.

“In their statement, McGill mischaracterizes the camp and has utilized photos of syringes that are present on the public street of Sherbrooke and pretended it was inside the camp,” SPHR McGill’s official spokesperson said.

The university’s decision to dismantle the camp via a private firm has come under fire from protesters and organizers.

SPHR McGill said the university has never had the well-being of students in mind. 

“Instead of moving money from companies that are actively facilitating war and occupation and genocide, the administration has taken every drastic measure to repress the movement for liberation,” SPHR McGill’s official spokesperson said. 

The group also accused the university of cutting off all electricity from the campus at night, along with dragging students into legal battles and accusing the encampment of violence.

Sam, a camper who preferred to use a pseudonym for safety reasons, alleged they were forcefully escorted from the encampment with no warning by the private security firm. 

“Our struggle to get McGill to divest from genocide, from the brutal massacre of Palestinians [shows] that [McGill] is scared and is resorting to violence,” Sam said.

Sam added that the university’s actions have given clarity to students on the university’s priorities, stating that violence is their “modus operandi.” 

Rutland said that McGill’s hiring of a private security company shows McGills intent. 

“The depravity of sending a bulldozer, the same bulldozers that are destroying Palestinian homes, the symbolism of that is going to last a while,” said Rutland. “What does this university stand for? It stands for genocide.”

According to Zeyad Abisaab, SPHR Concordia’s general coordinator, the removal of the encampment will not stop the organization’s work. 

“The students are determined and motivated that they will not stop fighting for a just cause,” said Abisaab “Demanding McGill, Concordia and all universities to divest from genocide, divest from the state of Israel, from the Zionist entity as a whole and specifically weapons companies.”

McGill contracts private security firm to dismantle pro-Palestine encampment Read More »

SPHR Concordia is going independent

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

SPHR is now independent, but their goals for divestment are still their priority. Photo Maria Cholakova

Maria Cholakova,
Local Journalism Initiative

The club will continue to fight for Palestine until divestment

Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) Concordia has established itself since 1999 as one of the primary voices supporting Palestinians at Concordia.

Now, 25 years later, they are still fighting for the same cause.

From fundraisers to sit-ins, walkouts, protests and a contribution to the encampment at McGill University, the club has made its stance clear: There will be no rest until there is a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and Concordia University completely divests from Israel. However, divestment is currently not a priority for Concordia. 

On May 27, Concordia President Graham Carr testified at a House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, stating that “the university’s position, since 2014, has been in opposition to BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions).”

However, Concordia’s current position isn’t stopping SPHR. According to an SPHR member, who was granted anonymity for safety reasons, the 2023-2024 academic year was a build-up towards BDS being a central topic of the discussion.

“[Now] you can’t go a few days or a few articles without Graham Carr or Deep Saini mentioning BDS,” they said. “That’s something that’s very important,” they said. 

Zeyad Abbisab, SPHR’s general coordinator, expressed that Concordia’s pushback on BDS and SPHR is more complex than just keeping the campus safe.

“[Institutions try] to suppress our voices because we are a threat to Zionism,” Abisaab said. “This is, yes, orientalism, but also economic incentives.”

Although Concordia’s investments are not shared publicly, the university has affiliations with companies that have been accused of being complicit in genocide. One of these companies is the Bank of Montreal, which in 2021 loaned an estimated US$90 million to a company that makes weapons and surveillance equipment used by the Israeli military.

Concordia also has academic connections to universities in Israel. The Azrieli Institute offered a field trip program in the summer of 2023 that allowed Concordia students to explore Israel in collaboration with Bar-Ilan University. Bar-Ilan is an institution that has allegedly been involved in “work with the Israeli military to develop unmanned combat vehicles and heavy machinery used to commit war crimes like home demolitions.”

SPHR is not alone in fighting against genocide and for BDS on campus. In the past year, the Arts and Science Federation of Associations and the Fine Arts Student Alliance passed a BDS motion. Additionally, the Quebec Public Interest Research Group, The People’s Potato, the Muslim Student Association, Solidarity Economy Incubation for Zero Emissions as well as hundreds of students across campus have all been demanding that Concordia divest from companies complicit in genocide. 

Although SPHR is continuing its activism work, it is also going through structural changes. Effective Sept. 3, SPHR will become an independent club, funding itself solely through community donations. SPHR has accused the university of not allowing them to sign up to become an official club this year. 

In June, the club received an email from the current acting dean of students, Katie Broad, as well as the director of the Office of Rights and Responsibilities (ORR), Aisha Topsakal. The university explained that SPHR will not be signed up as a student club anymore due to violations of the Code of Rights and Responsibilities. In the email, Concordia asked SPHR to remove three posts from its Instagram page as a condition for allowing the club to sign up once again. SPHR says that their independence won’t deter them from continuing their advocacy. 

Tension between the university administration and SPHR is nothing new. According to Abisaab, March and April were intense months for him and the club. 
 
On March 12, pro-Palestinian students picketed a talk by a professor from Tel Aviv University. The Israeli university was accused of offering special benefits and scholarships to student soldiers who participated in a 2014 military assault on Gaza. 

Although SPHR claims they did not organize the picket, the student group did participate in the strike. 

A month later, on April 10, Abisaab received two ORR complaints. One of the complaints was filed by the director of Campus Safety and Prevention Services because of SPHR’s involvement in the March 12 demonstration. The complaint alleged that Abisaab broke eight articles of the Code of Rights and Responsibilities. 

The second complaint was filed by a professor in the university, whose name The Link has not included for safety reasons. The complaint accused Abisaab of targeting the Azrieli Institute of Israel Studies. At the time of publication, the complaints are still ongoing. 

According to  Abisaab, the complaints were targeted towards him mainly due to his status as general coordinator of SPHR.

“It’s also an instance of profiling and discrimination,” Abisaab said. “Instead of actually looking at people who were there, or actually doing an investigation, or actually finding out what was said […], they just pin things to me.”

According to Concordia spokesperson Vannina Maestracci, over the past year, the administration has tried to keep the university safe by implementing changes across campus. Changes include increased personnel and monitoring of events and demonstrations; meeting with student groups to discuss de-escalation during events and taking disciplinary actions against students who have violated university rules; increased workshops on anti-discrimination and the establishment on April 3 of the Standing Together against Racism and Identity-based Violence Task Force. 

Although the university is making changes, the anonymous SPHR member still has concerns with the escalating number of Concordia Safety and Prevention Service officers during pro-Palestine events.

“We’ve definitely seen throughout the semester security watching us specifically when you walk [with] your keffiyeh on your shoulder,” the member said. 

Additionally, they believe that Palestine solidarity and the divestment movement are now much bigger than SPHR itself.

“Concordia should understand that all of these efforts [with security] do not help with reducing unrest on campus because it’s simply not just SPHR anymore,” the member said. “[Students] passed BDS motions.” 

 Abisaab is hopeful that the movement will stay strong and continue to fight for Palestine.

“We cannot be deterred by administrations, nor the courts, nor the SPVM, nor the city, nor the province, nor the country. No one can deter us, especially not the Zionists. Concordia and McGill and all administrations will be forced to adhere to our demands,” he said. “And the only thing between us and them are days.” 

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

SPHR Concordia is going independent Read More »

Concordia makes official statement on tuition hikes: The university is set to lose $62 million over four years

Local Journalism Initiative / / /
Lorraine Carpenter, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

Concordia University has formally made an announcement regarding the recent tuition hikes announced by the provincial government.

Tuition would double for out-of-province students and require universities to pay $20,000 to the government per international student enrolled from fall 2024.

The university expressed their dissatisfaction with the policy, stating that the change will have “devastating financial implications for Concordia and undermine our reputation as a global, next-gen university proud of its diversity, accessibility and openness to the world.”

According to Concordia, the university will lose $15.5 million in revenue for the 2024-2025 academic years and $62 million per year for the following four years. The university stated that their departments are expecting to lose 65 to 90 per cent of their out-of-province student population.

Concordia isn’t the only university speaking out. As a response to the Quebec government’s proposed tuition hikes, McGill shelved its plan to invest $50 million in promoting French to its staff, students and faculty members.

Students also took to the streets to voice their disapproval of the recent change. On Oct 30, students from Concordia, McGill and Bishop’s University organized a joint strike to protest the recent governmental implementations, voicing their anger and concerns over the news.

To combat the new provincial policy, Concordia says they are planning to “seek open channels of communication with the government, working with our colleagues at McGill and Bishop’s.”

Concordia makes official statement on tuition hikes: The university is set to lose $62 million over four years Read More »

Palestinian students claim Concordia dean of students waved middle finger at them: The university denies the altercation between Andrew Woodall and the students

Local Journalism Initiative / / / ,

Maria Cholakova & Iness Rifay

Local Journalism Initiative

On Oct. 12 around 6 p.m., Bara Abuhamed and his friend Yusuf, who wished to be given a pseudonym for his safety, were driving on Mackay Street while waving the Palestinian flag through the sunroof.

As the car passed by the Hall building on the Sir George Williams Campus, the students noticed a familiar figure at the nearby Bixi station. “We were parking the car when we saw an old man giving us the middle finger,” Yusuf said.

“Obviously, we were shaken,” Abuhamed said. “Why was he flipping us off?”

As the man loaned out a bicycle from the station, Abuhamed recognized the man to be Concordia Dean of Students Andrew Woodall.

“When I recognized him, I said ‘you’re the Dean of Students,’ and he said ‘yeah’ and drove off,” he said. “That’s when I stopped the car and told him that I’m a student. That’s when he stops, turns around and comes to apologize.”

In a video of the apology sent to The Link, Abuhamed confronted Woodall, calling him out for the disrespectful action. He also told the Dean he was being a hypocrite.

Abuhamed’s accusation of hypocrisy comes from his previous work with Woodall. In 2017, a letter threatening to set off a bomb in two of Concordia’s downtown buildings was sent to the Muslim Student Association (MSA). Abuhamed, who was the association’s VP at the time, worked with Woodall to ensure students were safe. Now, six years later, Woodall is allegedly giving the finger to the same person with whom he worked alongside.

Woodall apologized again and blamed the pressure on a “ton of pressure going on.”

Abuhamed responds “on us too,” telling the Dean that the Palestinian Concordia students community has gotten their private information leaked online–or doxxed–by Zionist extremists.

Woodall repeated his apology once more as Abuhamed told him that if a similar interaction transpired again, he would file a formal complaint.

“You do what you need to do,” Woodall said.

The Link contacted Concordia’s spokesperson Vannina Maestracci for comment on the situation, and she denied that Woodall made the gesture. According to Maestracci, “He [Dean Woodall] did give a look to the student,” given the statement that was sent on Wednesday about ‘high-charged moments such as the one we are in right now.’”

Upon hearing the spokesperson’s official response, Abuhamed wasn’t happy about how the university was dealing with the incident.

“If she’s going to accuse students of a lie, she’s either saying that my eyes don’t work or she wants to deny a situation that she knows Andrew is guilty of,” he said. “It’s clear as day what a middle finger looks like.”

Abuhamed also believes that if he and Yusuf had not disclosed that they were students to Woodall, he would not have come back to apologize.

Anti-Palestinian racism has been on the rise across North America in the past week. Two days prior to Abuhamed’s encounter with Woodall, a Tunisian woman got verbally harassed by a Montreal author, who wished upon the victim to get sexually harassed for carrying a Palestinian flag. On Oct. 14, CNN reported on a six-year-old Muslim child who was stabbed 26 times in Illinois by his family’s landlord and passed away the same day. His mother was also stabbed more than a dozen times.

In the wake of such hatred, demonstrators have started to gather not just in support of Gaza and Palestine, but the wider Arab community.

Palestinian students claim Concordia dean of students waved middle finger at them: The university denies the altercation between Andrew Woodall and the students Read More »

The fight for fair pay continues: Care and CREW-CSN are demanding better wages for TAs and RAs

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Maria Cholakova

Local Journalism Initiative

Unions across campus have started negotiations with Concordia University to increase workers’ pay and sign new collective agreements.

The Concordia Association of Research Employees (CARE) has been at the negotiating table for over a year, demanding livable wages that match inflation and that are comparable to other universities in Montreal.

According to the union’s secretary-treasurer, Gabrielle McLaren, negotiations with Concordia have been “extremely difficult.” CARE’s collective agreement expired on May 31, 2022 and the union started negotiations three months later. However, McLaren noted that Concordia didn’t want to budge on salaries.

“They’ve been really unflinching, which is a problem,” she said. “It took us a really, really long time to even get Concordia to talk about money.”

She said she believes Concordia’s unwillingness to increase salaries is unfounded when comparing research employee salaries to those at McGill. “[McGill] just takes research more seriously and it shows financially,” she said.

Depending on the job employees unionized under CARE have, the hourly salary as a research assistant (RA) is a minimum of $23.43 per hour. In contrast, McGill pays RAs a minimum of $28 to $30 per hour.

By November 2022, negotiations were slower than CARE would have liked. “It became really clear that it was sort of [Concordia’s] way or the highway, which isn’t how bargaining works. That’s not how negotiations work,” McLaren said. Then, CARE decided to take matters into their own hands.

On Feb. 22, 2023, one hour before their meeting with Concordia’s negotiating team, CARE members gathered in front of the Faubourg Building, giving out flyers and informing passersby on the need for an increase in RA wages. The gathering was quickly shut down by Concordia security, who asked union members for their IDs.

“It became really clear from the start of that meeting that the university was unhappy that they had been greeted downstairs by our group, and it was a really difficult meeting that ended up with Concordia telling us that if we didn’t agree with them, we should just leave,” McLaren said.

For McLaren, the meetings weren’t productive anymore. “[Concordia] wasn’t respecting what we were bringing to the table, they weren’t showing up at meetings ready,” she said.

CARE then moved to conciliation, a step in bargaining where a neutral party would get involved to facilitate and fast-forward negotiation discussions.

“At first, we were sensing a change of attitude,” McLaren said. “Tensions in the room were releasing, the dialogue was more productive, but […] that did not last.”

In early August, Concordia presented an offer. Although some demands were met, the minimum salary was not increased for 2023. “It is ridiculous, given inflation. Plus, the minimums aren’t that high, they’re like $21,” she said.

Concordia refusing to increase wages was unacceptable for CARE. “You’re asking people to have research expertise, to have specialized skills with different software, different computing, different financial systems, different administrations; that’s not a competitive salary,” said McLaren.

CARE didn’t accept the offer and waited until September for Concordia’s new offer, which never came.

“Often our colleagues would ask, ‘How’d it go?’ And it was really tough,” she said. “How do I tell them that the employer just wasted two months of our time in the most diplomatic way possible.”

According to Vannina Maestracci, Concordia’s spokesperson, “The parties continue to negotiate and we are committed to reaching an agreement.”

The struggle for better pay has been felt by CARE and CREW-CSN alike.

Zachary Mitchell, a CREW-CSN militant and a teaching assistant (TA) and RA in the history department, said that considering inflation hit 5.2 per cent, the union will demand pay to at least match inflation.

“Fundamentally, a lot of us are being priced out of our own city. This is where we work, this is where we live. If we can’t afford rent, if we can’t afford food, what are we supposed to do?”

Mitchell said a better working environment culturally would benefit TAs and RAs as a whole. “We’re contracted for [a certain] number of hours, but often the expectation is to work above those hours, and there’s a real culture around it that’s developed over the years,” he said.

Mitchell added that Concordia’s negotiation strategies should change in order for unions to see change. “Concordia really has signalled sort of a policy of austerity in the past years, despite record inflation, but a very selective austerity,” he said.

He used Concordia President Graham Carr’s 10 per cent salary increase as an example in contrast to their strict no-pay increases for unions.

“Some of the unions here, even ones which are asking for very little—like four or five per cent—they’re kind of getting snubbed,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell added that all hope is not lost. “When things fail at the bargaining table, that’s when unions begin to take larger steps doing things like industrial action, possibly even escalating eventually to strikes,” he said.

The fight for fair pay continues: Care and CREW-CSN are demanding better wages for TAs and RAs Read More »

Scroll to Top