McGill

Quebec Superior Court authorizes lawsuit against automatic student insurance

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Former Concordia student Arielle Nagar is one of two former students leading the class action lawsuit. Photo Caroline Marsh

Jared Lackman-Mincoff,
Local Journalism Initiative

Former Concordia and McGill university students lead class action lawsuit

The Quebec Superior Court has authorized a class action lawsuit brought by two former students of McGill and Concordia universities seeking damages over the student insurance opt-out system.

A Université de Montréal student first filed the lawsuit against Desjardins Sécurité financière (DSF) and the Alliance pour la santé étudiante au Québec (ASEQ), also known as Studentcare, in June 2023.

However, it is now former Concordia University student Arielle Nagar and former McGill University student Giovana Feth representing the group. 

According to the court decision, the group is seeking “an injunction to end automatic student membership” and is “demanding the reimbursement of insurance premiums paid by members, as well as compensatory, moral, and punitive damages.”

They are also demanding that universities implement an opt-in student insurance system where students can choose to enroll in health coverage, claiming that an automatic enrolment system is illegal. They argue that students often only have a few weeks to opt out, and that the insurers and universities fail to properly inform students of the “optional nature” of the insurance.

La Presse reported on Aug. 6 that a new document was submitted to the court on Aug. 4. The new document asked for the lawsuit to include 32 additional postsecondary schools that face similar opt-out insurance systems. The document says that ASEQ represents over 400,000 postsecondary students per year.

The lawsuit originally sought to target all student health insurance contracts in Quebec that have ended since Dec. 19, 2019, but the court mandated that the lawsuit be limited only to such contracts at Concordia and McGill.

Concordia and McGill are now defendants in the lawsuit along with DSF and ASEQ, having collected insurance premiums from students and delivered them to the insurers.

However, the universities claim in the court decision that they simply play an “administrative assistance role,” and are not involved in the insurance contracts.

Joey Zukran, the group’s lawyer, told La Presse that he hopes to reach a settlement with the defendants within two months to avoid involving too many schools in the lawsuit.

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Court allows Jewish groups to intervene in SPHR case

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By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Superior Court Judge Louis Charette has ruled that Jewish groups at McGill can intervene in support of McGill University’s case against the anti-Israel group Students For Palestine’s Honour and Resistance McGill (SPHR).

The Jewish groups — Hillel Montreal, Hillel McGill, McGill Jewish Law Students Association, Chabad at McGill, Israel on Campus McGill, Students Supporting Israel at McGill and Alpha Epsilon Pi McGill — asked that they be allowed a voluntary conservatory intervention in which, according to Arbitration Matters, “a third party, who is not originally part of a lawsuit, voluntarily joins the proceedings to support or assist one of the existing parties.”

This past April, Quebec Superior Court granted McGill’s request for a provisional 10-day injunction against SPHR. The injunction had been sought just after a three-day student strike at McGill during which classes were interrupted, Jewish students intimidated and much vandalism committed. The university pointed out that the injunction was needed at this time as exams were underway.

McGill has also sought an interlocutory injunction, preventing actions before a case is resolved; and a permanent injunction “to restore a climate of security on campus,” alleging that SPHR has “repeatedly participated and encouraged acts of violence on McGill campus.” The interlocutory hearing is set for Sept. 18 and 19.

The Students’ Society of McGill University, an impleaded party in the case and intervenors the Association of McGill University Support Employees, the Association of McGill University Research Employees and the Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill (referred to as the “opposing groups”) are opposing the intervention of the Jewish groups.

The Jewish groups argue that they should be allowed to intervene, saying that members have been victims or have witnessed events that took place during the April student strike. The groups opposing the intervention request by the Jewish groups argue that they “do not possess sufficient interest to intervene.”

The judge disagreed for several reasons, amongst them “while McGill’s Application may at first glance appear as a private dispute, there can be no denying that issues of public interest are at the heart of the litigation,” including “rights protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.” The judge also pointed out that McGill did not oppose the intervention of the “opposing groups”

The judge also pointed out the mandates of the Jewish groups include “defending the interests of Jewish McGill students, including their right to openly express their opinions; and the expression of a positive image of the State of Israel and defending the right of Jewish and non-Jewish students to openly discuss their affinity with the State of Israel.”

The judge added that the sworn statements of individuals from some of the Jewish groups “raise concerns about the atmosphere of intimidation and hostility towards Jewish students at McGill.

“Although it may be true that none of the [Jewish student groups] have alleged an immediate impact on an activity or event, the fact remains that their members suffer the immediate consequences of the intimidation and hostility towards Jewish students like none of the other parties currently involved in the litigation.”

For this and other reasons, the judge allowed the Jewish groups to intervene in support of McGill University against SPHR. n

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McGill will only tolerate peaceful and time limited protests:Saini

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By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

McGill will only tolerate peaceful protests on campus going forward, and not situations like the pro-Palestinian encampment that was on the university grounds from April 27 to July 10, McGill president Deep Saini said Aug. 28.

The encampment was cleared by a private company hired by McGill while the SPVM, as well as the SQ, surrounded the area around the campus.

Saini was interviewed at a virtual Zoom town hall by Mount Royal MP Anthony Housefather, who is also the Prime Minister’s Special Advisor on Jewish Community Relations and Antisemitism. Hundreds of people listened in.

Saini said McGill’s actions during the encampment were not perfect, “but did we handle it as well as we could have under the circumstances, I think more or less, yes. The rear view mirror is always very instructive….We are working without a playbook, we’re learning from every experience, and saying ‘how do we do the next thing better?’”

Housefather then asked if there will be enhanced security at McGill this semester, and what will the university do to ensure people feel safer and not have to hear antisemitic chants and have incidents like an effigy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hanging from the Roddick gates or the occupation of a university building and terrorizing its occupants, as took place.

Saini replied that if there is a peaceful protest on campus “that is not also engaging in targeted hate against a particular community or individual, and it’s an expression of your political opinion, by all means, do that.

“But a protest has a time limit on it. You can’t say ‘I’m going to set up an encampment and that’s my form of protest,’ or ‘I’m going to take over a building.’ Time limited, specified subject in a specified place, you express your views and you move on and you have a debate.”

Housefather said, “and not carrying symbols of terrorist organizations, not chanting things that a terrorist organization would chant.”

Saini replied that “once you cross the line, then we have multiple levels of security now — I don’t want to go into the details of it — but what we have put in place is that depending on the nature of an offence, we will deploy security. We have our own security, we have access to additional help from outside and we have a better understanding with the Montreal police — of what the Montreal police can and cannot do.”

Saini said he feels “we have all the right steps in place that give us the best, at this moment, tools to deal with a disruption.”

Housefather also asked about alleged “abuse of podium” situations in which professor expresses his or her view of the Israel-Hamas war in a class where the subject is not relevant, or where students feel uncomfortable if they take a position contrary to that of the educator.

Saini replied that this past Aug, 22, a note was sent to all faculty and staff “laying out the rules of engagement going forward.

“They include a clear message to our faculty of what is permissible under academic freedom and freedom of speech, and what constitutes abuse of podium, particularly when you’re in a position of power. Nobody would be allowed to abuse their position or podium to make a statement projecting their own beliefs to the people.” n

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Concordia, McGill see enrolments drop, deficits continue

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By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Concordia University has seen a concerning decrease in winter registrations, even as it deals with financial woes not unlike those at McGill.

McGill discussed its budgetary problems with the student body in a virtual town hall in which it mentioned other Canadian universities, Concordia included, that are dealing with large deficits.

In an email to The Suburban, Concordia spokesperson Vannina Maestracci says the university has been faced with deficits since the spring of 2023 (when they posted a deficit of $15 million). “The approved deficit for 2024-2025,” she said, “is $34.5 million, and we have been focused on reducing costs and stabilizing enrolment so that we can return to a balanced budget in 2028-2029.”

The drop in applications is worrying since Concordia has been working on recruiting 1,000 new students for the next academic year, specifically to deal with declining enrolment.

Like McGill, Concordia is striving to balance its budget by 2028. Both schools are working with Quebec’s Ministry of Higher Education on a recovery plan. And, like McGill, part of the problem is Quebec’s restrictions on international students, leading to a drop in applications for winter, summer, and fall 2025. New registrations are down five percent for January of this year. This follows some 10-20% application drops last fall.

Student enrolment does account for the bulk of the university’s revenue – 85 percent. But Maestracci points out that enrolment tends to be lower in the winter than in the fall, so it’s hard to say, at this point, how things will turn out in the coming months. But in an budget update in December Provost Anne Whitelaw did point out that the loss from the drop in enrolment affects the three years those students would have spent at Concordia.

Cuts to expenses were inevitable. Some of the measures include adjusting the temperatures in some buildings depending on the hours of operation – turning off heat or air conditioning, and other measures. Last month, while covering a story at Concordia, some journalists from The Suburban noted the “freezing” temperatures in some administration buildings.

And, again, like McGill, Concordia is also in a hiring freeze. Some positions have been closed, and several others have not been filled.

Concordia’s overall operating budget is $665 million. n

Concordia, McGill see enrolments drop, deficits continue Read More »

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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Déry warns universities not to tolerate hate

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By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry sent a letter to the heads of universities Aug. 30 calling them to a meeting Sept. 16 to explain their policies and warn them not to tolerate hate and violence on their campuses, especially as the Oct. 7 anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel approaches.

Concordia University is the subject of a lawsuit alleging it tolerated antisemitic behaviour on its campus for months and even years, while an anti-Israel encampment was allowed to remain on the McGill campus for 10 weeks, accompanied by antisemitic chants and graffiti glorifying terrorism.

Déry posted on social media last week that “no one is indifferent to the tragic conflict in the Middle East. However, we cannot tolerate tensions being brought to our campuses through vandalism, intimidation and incitement to hatred.”

She also posted the letter, which says to the university heads that this past summer, “we asked you to share with us the means you have at your disposal to counter bullying, harassment, racism, violence, hatred or any other problem, with the aim of fostering a healthy and safe climate on campuses, and avoiding the excesses that we have witnessed in recent months.

“In light of what we have gathered, you do indeed have various levers at your disposal, such as various institutional policies and, in certain cases, the presence of an interdisciplinary crisis management intervention team. the letter adds. “However, on the eve of the start of the school year and in light of the armed conflict that is still raging in the Middle East, I am very concerned about the climate of tension that reigns on certain campuses. I ask you to be even more vigilant and above all proactive, by better communicating your internal policies and regulations to your entire community and ensuring that they are enforced, where appropriate.”

Dery added that as she has said publicly several times, “our establishments must remain places of exchange, debate and discussion, in a constructive and respectful environment. We will not tolerate any form of hate speech, intimidation, violence and incitement to hatred.

“To this end, I invite you to a follow-up meeting on Sept. 16 to continue discussions to this effect and explore avenues to support your actions. In the meantime, I ask you to send me your crisis management policy or emergency measures plan in the context of cultural tensions and international conflicts, to avoid any overflow on campuses, particularly in anticipation of October 7.” n

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McGill will only tolerate peaceful and time limited protests:Saini

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

McGill will only tolerate peaceful protests on campus going forward, and not situations like the pro-Palestinian encampment that was on the university grounds from April 27 to July 10, McGill president Deep Saini said Aug. 28.

The encampment was cleared by a private company hired by McGill while the SPVM, as well as the SQ, surrounded the area around the campus.

Saini was interviewed at a virtual Zoom town hall by Mount Royal MP Anthony Housefather, who is also the Prime Minister’s Special Advisor on Jewish Community Relations and Antisemitism. Hundreds of people listened in.

Saini said McGill’s actions during the encampment were not perfect, “but did we handle it as well as we could have under the circumstances, I think more or less, yes. The rear view mirror is always very instructive….We are working without a playbook, we’re learning from every experience, and saying ‘how do we do the next thing better?’”

Housefather then asked if there will be enhanced security at McGill this semester, and what will the university do to ensure people feel safer and not have to hear antisemitic chants and have incidents like an effigy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hanging from the Roddick gates or the occupation of a university building and terrorizing its occupants, as took place.

Saini replied that if there is a peaceful protest on campus “that is not also engaging in targeted hate against a particular community or individual, and it’s an expression of your political opinion, by all means, do that.

“But a protest has a time limit on it. You can’t say ‘I’m going to set up an encampment and that’s my form of protest,’ or ‘I’m going to take over a building.’ Time limited, specified subject in a specified place, you express your views and you move on and you have a debate.”

Housefather said, “and not carrying symbols of terrorist organizations, not chanting things that a terrorist organization would chant.”

Saini replied that “once you cross the line, then we have multiple levels of security now — I don’t want to go into the details of it — but what we have put in place is that depending on the nature of an offence, we will deploy security. We have our own security, we have access to additional help from outside and we have a better understanding with the Montreal police — of what the Montreal police can and cannot do.”

Saini said he feels “we have all the right steps in place that give us the best, at this moment, tools to deal with a disruption.”

Housefather also asked about alleged “abuse of podium” situations in which professor expresses his or her view of the Israel-Hamas war in a class where the subject is not relevant, or where students feel uncomfortable if they take a position contrary to that of the educator.

Saini replied that this past Aug, 22, a note was sent to all faculty and staff “laying out the rules of engagement going forward.

“They include a clear message to our faculty of what is permissible under academic freedom and freedom of speech, and what constitutes abuse of podium, particularly when you’re in a position of power. Nobody would be allowed to abuse their position or podium to make a statement projecting their own beliefs to the people.” n

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A look back on student encampments and resistance

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Students set up McGill encampment for Palestine. Photo Hannah Scott-Talib

Zina Chouaibi & Geneviève Sylvestre,
Local Journalism Initiative

The dismantling of the McGill encampment was not the end of Palestinian solidarity in Montreal

Over the past year, universities in Montreal and across the world have witnessed a surge in student activism, with campus encampments serving as symbols of Palestinian solidarity.

Antler, a camper at the McGill University encampment, who was granted a pseudonym for safety reasons, was about to leave Montreal for summer break when the encampment was erected on April 27. Instead, she chose to stay in the city to show her solidarity.

“This is a student opportunity that doesn’t happen often. It’s the first encampment in Canada, it was in a school that is already on stolen land, it had a lot of backstory to it that was very important to us,” said Antler. “At the time of the encampment, it kind of felt like it was the most we could do.”

The encampment brought unprecedented attention to the issue of divestment, highlighting activists’ demands that McGill and Concordia divest from companies with connections to the ongoing genocide and cut all academic ties with Israel.   

McGill filed three injunctions in an attempt to get the encampment removed. Two were rejected by Quebec Superior Court judges, and the last was withdrawn by McGill after the dismantlement of the camp by a private security firm on Jul. 10.

“The fact that it was forcefully removed by mercenaries only contributed positively to the momentum,” a representative from Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) McGill said. 

According to the representative, the encampments showcased the unity and power of the student front.

“We had never seen this much media coverage on this topic despite divestment being a demand for the past two decades,” they said.

Antler was not present the day the encampment was taken down, but says she is very proud of what all the campers accomplished.

“Honestly, more than anything, more than disappointed, I was just very, very proud of how long the encampment stayed and how resilient the students were,” she said. 

The removal of the encampments did not mark the end of the divestment movement, but rather a shift in tactics. Activists like Hassan Ridha from the Palestinian Youth Movement are now focusing on long-term strategies that involve coalition-building across different communities.

“When multiple separate efforts are joined together, they become more powerful,” Ridha said.

Despite the lack of meaningful progress from university administrations, Ridha sees the rise in solidarity as a significant victory.

“I consider the unification of students, businesses, professionals and parents a major success of the encampment,” he said. 

According to the SPHR McGill representative, the Montreal community played a crucial role in supporting the encampments and keeping the movement alive.

“The Montreal community has supported us throughout the encampment with donations for what was necessary to keep the encampment alive,” the SPHR McGill representative said. “That in itself plays a huge role in achieving divestment.” 

Currently, activists like Ridha are looking to engage new supporters to sustain the movement, particularly incoming students who may be unfamiliar with the history of the encampments. 

“To engage new supporters, it is important to be as present as possible in as many places as possible,” Ridha said. He believes that by expanding the movement’s reach and involving more communities, the movement can continue to grow and evolve.

“At the end of the day, we are students who don’t want our tuition money to go to the funding of a genocide,” the SPHR McGill representative said. “That is such a simple ask: justice.” 

With files from Maria Cholakova

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

A look back on student encampments and resistance Read More »

McGill encampment dismantled after more than two months

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By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

The anti-Israel encampment at McGill University was taken down last week after more than two months, a period that included violent and intimidating actions by the protesters, unsanitary conditions, an attempt at negotiating by McGill and legal attempts by McGill and Spiegel Sohmer senior partner Neil Oberman to move the encampment out.

The City of Montreal recently dismantled the encampment at Victoria Square. In McGill’s case, a private security firm was hired to do the actual dismantling, while the SPVM and some SQ officers surrounded the area around the campus. The University of Ottawa encampment was dismantled the same day.

A McGill alert that day said, “as members of the McGill community are aware, the university has been subject to ongoing and escalating acts of violence and vandalism associated with the encampment, up to and including criminal acts on campus last weekend (smashed windows and assault on a guard),” a McGill alert said. “The encampment is the site of profound health and safety risks that continue to grow in scope and severity. To protect the security of the McGill community and the integrity of our property, the encampment on the lower field of the downtown campus is being dismantled.”

At the scene itself, Sherbrooke Street westward from University was blocked off by police, and anti-Israel protesters stood on Sherbrooke, calling the police fascists and Zionists terrorists, and promising Intifada, while the dismantling proceeded on the campus.

On Thursday night, protesters and police clashed physically at Phillips Square, one of many frequent anti-Israel protest sites. SPVM officers dispersed pepper spray and tear gas and projectiles were thrown at police. One 22-year-old man was arrested for obstruction of police action and assaulting an officer. The individual was released pending a court appearance.

McGill president Deep Saini stated last week why the last straw was broken.

“People linked to the camp have harassed our community members, engaged in antisemitic intimidation, damaged and destroyed McGill property, forcefully occupied a building, clashed with police, and committed acts of assault,” he stated last week. “They also hosted a ‘revolutionary youth summer program’ advertised with images of masked individuals holding assault rifles. The risks emanating from the camp have been escalating, steadily and dangerously.”

Saini further stated that other factors leading to the dismantling were that, “two drug overdoses occurred in the camp since July 6. Syringes [were] visible, and illegal narcotics have been sold there. The camp is infested with rats. There are fire risks, including a propane canister and flammable materials next to the tents.” n

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Anti-Hate coalition says McGill should BDS Hamas, Iran links

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By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

The United Against Hate Canada coalition wrote to McGill president Deep Saini in reaction to the university’s recent announcement that it was proposing to negotiate some of the demands of those involved with the more than two-month long anti-Israel encampment on the campus grounds.

The pro-Palestinian activists referred to McGill’s proposals as “laughable.” McGill stopped negotiating in mid-June.

Marvin Rotrand of United Against Hate Canada told The Suburban his group is questioning “McGill’s weak kneed response to anti-Israel protests and its supine attitude in the face of increasingly maximalist demands from a relative small, masked and totally unrepresentative group of protesters, many of whom are likely not McGill students.

“Rather than considering acceding to protesters’ shameful demands and offering amnesties, we are calling on the university to do the following — boycott, divest and sanction all nations, businesses and institutions that fund Hamas as well as cutting ties with all industries and academic institutions that have links with the Islamic Republic of Iran and its proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and other terrorist entities,” Rotrand added. n

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Pro-Palestinians blockade McGill official’s NDG home

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By Beryl Wajsman, Editor
The Suburban

Several dozen Pro-Palestinian demonstrators blockaded the home of McGill Associate Provost for Equity Angela Campbell in NDG Sunday. They set up a tent with posters and Palestinian flags and shouted intimidating screeds through bullhorns in the quiet residential area. They included some aimed directly at Campbell telling her that she “can’t hide” and accusing her of being complicit in the what they describe as a genocide.

The police closed off streets around Monkland but according to neighbours speaking on condition of anonymity said they would not intervene as long as it remained a “peaceful” protest. SPVM spokesperson Cst.Caroline Chevrefils confirmed the details of the events to The Suburban.The demonstration broke up after three hours.

Regarding the incident at Campbell’s home, McGill stated, “McGill condemns this absolutely unacceptable behaviour. Targeting people and their families at their residence crosses the line from peaceful protest to intimidation and harassment.”

McGill still has not yet signed a trespass complaint with the police against the encampment but will be back in court seeking a permanent injunction to remove the encampment on the grounds that McGill is the owner of the property the encampment is occupying. Its temporary injunction request was denied last week because of what the court said was a failure to demonstrate “urgency.”

McGill’s new injunction demand would have the protesters barred from “camping or occupying in any manner whatsoever” as well as from protesting in any way that is in violation of university policy on its downtown campus. The order would also authorize bailiffs tasked with serving the judgment to “call upon any peace officer to assist them.” n

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Oberman testifies at Commons Committee on antisemitism

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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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