Palestine

a woman in a kuffiyeh speaks into a microphone

Court refuses to extend injunction against protest at McGill

October 25, 2024 by Jules Bugiel

On Monday, Quebec Superior Court ruled against an attempt by McGill to continue its ban on campus protest. In his decision, Judge Gary Morrison found that McGill had not demonstrated the urgency needed to renew the ten-day Oct. 8 injunction.

CKUT spoke to a representative of Students for Palestine’s Honour and Resistance (SPHR), as well as lawyer Sibel Ataogul, who represented fledgling unions in McGill’s faculties of Arts and Education, as well as pro-peace groups, at the Oct. 18 hearing.

McGill told CKUT it will respect the court’s decision.

A night time showing of a film on a wall behind a stage in an outside location. There is the image of a man wearing glasses being projected on the screen and a neon surtitle with the words "Censorship Why?" projected.

Faculty lead film group screens Palestinian documentary outdoors despite Concordia canceling event

October 15, 2024 by Adam Inniss

On Friday October 11, a group of Concordia faculty screened a Palestinian documentary on the side of the Hall building, after Concordia University canceled their planned screening in the library.

The Group Regards Palestiniens has been screening documentaries and films with a Palestinian focus in Montreal and in the Concordia community for years now. They had a screening of the 1970s documentary Resistance Why? planned for Concordia’s De Seve Cinema in the library on the evening of October 11 as a fundraiser for Gaza.

The evening of the 10th, the day before the screening was planned, Concordia Security send an email to the group informing them that because the event was a fundraiser, they had to cancel the screening, citing the policy on temporary use of university space. The group objected and negotiated but ultimately were told they could not screen the film that evening.

The group is calling Concordia’s cancellation of their screening an act of censorship. Concordia did not respond to CJLO’s request for comment.

A woman with brown shoulder length hair, wearing a grey sweater with a watermelon pin stands on the steps of a courthouse. She is reading from a white sheet of paper, and is surrounded by 7-8 people.

Prince George artist launches lawsuit against Northern Health for wrongful dismissal

October 15, 2024 by Ian Gregg

A local artist and former Northern Health Authority employee Amy Blanding announced a lawsuit on October 9 against her former employer, the Northern Health Authority (NHA).

CFURadio provides this story from a press conference on the BC Courthouse steps in Vancouver where Blanding, advocates and supporters gave their reasons for the lawsuit.

In Blanding’s statement she alleges that the NHA removed Ms. Blanding from her position as Director of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility (IDEA) following a springtime performance which included a song advocating for Palestinian human rights, and subsequent complaint submitted to NHA. Ms. Blanding says she was removed from her IDEA position because she refused to apologize for expressing support for Palestinian human rights in her personal time.

When asked for comment, Northern Health provided the following statement, “Northern Health cannot comment as this is a human resources matter before the courts.”

Students mobilize against ‘a year of complicity in the genocide in Gaza’

October 9, 2024 by Jules Bugiel

On Monday, over a thousand Montrealers gathered outside Concordia’s Hall building, many of them students, in a walkout for Palestine.

Speakers called on universities like Concordia and McGill to cut ties with Israel and divest from companies they say are complicit in a genocide in Gaza.

The demonstration was met with the almost-total shutdown of McGill campus and a large police presence throughout downtown.

The demonstration ended around 4:30 pm, after police used tear gas to disperse the crowd outside Pine and Aylmer streets, where a small group of protesters were breaking windows and spraying paint beside the McGill gym. Police Chief Fady Dagher said no arrests were made.

With additional files from Cheï Levesque

One person wearing a black and white Keffiyeh head scarf and dark glasses, brandishing a metal rod, breaks a window of 499 Pine Ave, a McGill building, as two other protesters look on.

Student walkout ends with broken windows, tear gas

October 8, 2024 by Adam Inniss

On Monday, October 7, the mostly peaceful student walkout ended in chaos and violence when police fired tear gas on pro-divestment protesters, as independent students shattered windows of McGill buildings along Pine Avenue.

CJLO News was on site and reports that the walkout began at 1:30pm, students peacefully left classes and McGill and Concordia. Students and faculty marched through the streets demanding their institutions break ties with companies tied to Israel and take a public stance on Israel’s actions in the Middle East.

The event took a turn in the final moments, around 4:00pm when a group of independent student actors began to pick up metal rods from a construction site along Pine Avenue and shatter windows of McGill buildings. Most students and protesters began to leave, but almost immediately police fired two tear gas cans into the crowd.

In contrast, earlier in the day, multiple Jewish student groups held a vigil for Israeli victims and hostages killed and kidnapped on October 7 2023. CJLO reports on both events and the response of McGill and police.

A collection of tea lights on a patch of dark pavement placed to remember people killed in the recent Israeli invasion of Lebanon.

Lebanese students mourn at vigil, express frustration

October 4, 2024 by Adam Inniss

On the night of Tuesday October 1, students from McGill and Concordia organized a vigil for people killed in Israel’s current ground invasion and former air strikes of Lebanon. The vigil took place at the McGill campus.

Over 200 attendees held candles and observed speakers from different student groups. Students voiced personal sadnesses and political frustrations.

This included reiterating a call for the Universities to boycott and divest from companies tied to Israel. Concordia University has responded to ongoing activist demands for divestment and Boycott Divest and Sanction (BDS) motions in a statement to CJLO.

The future of student action in the coming weeks is uncertain, but walkouts and protests are expected next week.

A fence bars access to McGill University, with a sign reading 'private property'. The fence is between two grey brick buildings separated by a walkway.

McGill to close campus this weekend through Oct. 7, citing security concerns

October 4, 2024 by Jules Bugiel

McGill campus will be shut down to the public for the next three days. From Oct. 5-7, access onto campus and into buildings will require an active McGill ID.

In a message to the campus community, the university says the move was in response to events “being organized from Oct. 5 to 7 that call for significant numbers of people from outside the McGill community to gather on or around the university’s downtown campus.”

It’s the second time in the past few months McGill has shut down campus with little warning to pre-empt pro-Palestinian protests that it fear could result in property damage or other disruptions.

CKUT spoke to pro-Palestine activist Kaina Zarim and associate professor William Clare Roberts about the closures. McGill declined to comment. The statement from McGill about campus access from Oct. 5-7 can be found here.

Montreal admits to removing election signs critical of Israel

September 20, 2024 by Jules Bugiel

A Montreal advocacy group set out to use Monday’s by-election to raise awareness of the war in Gaza – and what they see as Canada’s complicity.

But even after registering as a third party intervenor with Elections Canada, LaSalle-Émard-Verdun for Palestine allege that hundreds of their signs were removed, with less than a hundred returned.

The City and the boroughs have taken partial responsibility, but only as an error – not the result of an internal command. Still, it’s the second time in the past decade that they’ve admitted to removing election signs critical of Israel.

A City spokesperson refused to comment when reached by CKUT, citing the possibility of legal action, but acknowledged that they had received a cease and desist letter from the group’s lawyer.

The boroughs of Verdun and the Sud-Ouest declined to comment, and LaSalle did not respond, when reached by CKUT.

A picture of a gothic stone building on a university campus and a fenced area with Palestinian flags flying and a sign which says "We Shall Return"

Beyond encampments – Palestinian solidarity activists gather to discuss new strategies

September 18, 2024 by Dan Kellar

While Palestinian solidarity encampments at universities across the country have been dismantled, strategizing to keep up the pressure hasn’t stopped.

The grassroots organization Guelph 4 Palestine is hosting the People’s Conference for Palestinian Solidarity at the University of Guelph on September 21st and 22nd. The conference’s website says participants “will engage in meaningful conversations, learn and share lessons and resources, and continue to propel efforts to support a free Palestine”.

Representatives from several Palestinian solidarity student encampments will share their experiences along with health care workers, labour organizers, Independent Jewish Voices, and others. Organizers from the “Gaza House” encampment which was set up at the University of Waterloo will be presenting.

The event will feature workshops and speakers, discussion and resource sharing spaces and programming for kids. Registration is available online or in person at the event.

This show features an interview with Shabina Lafleur-Gangji of Guelph 4 Palestine.

A large white sheet hanging on the encampment barricade. It is surrounded by a green trap blocking the view inside. On the white sheet it reads "Students For Palestine"

BC Supreme Court orders the removal of VIU pro-Palestine encampment

August 16, 2024 by Lauryn Mackenzie

The Vancouver Island University (VIU) Palestine Solidarity Encampment has 72 hours to vacate its current location on campus after the BC Supreme Court approved injunction.

The VIU encampment, which is the last known pro-Palestinian campus encampment left standing in Canada, has been given until Sunday, Aug. 18 at 9:30 a.m. to leave its current location on campus.

The judge ruled on Aug. 15 to allow an interim injunction for 150 days on the grassy quad area where the encampment sits.

In a statement posted on Aug. 15, VIU stated they “sincerely hope those in the encampment comply with the court order and vacate the quad before the court-imposed deadline.”

While in a statement from the Palestine Solidarity Encampment posted on the same day, they stated the outcomes from the trial were expected but VIU was only granted a narrow version of what they sought.

Two Pride flags fly in front of a blue sky. There is a sliver of an apartment building visible on the far left of the frame.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe refuses participation in Capital Pride after Palestine solidarity statement

August 16, 2024 by Vanessa Landriault

On Thursday August 15, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe stated over X (formerly known as Twitter) that he will no longer be taking part in any pride activities hosted by Capital Pride, which starts this weekend.

This happened as a result of a Capital Pride statement on August 6 in solidarity with Palestine in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine.

This decision has them facing backlash from Ottawa citizens, the Jewish Federation of Ottawa and Mayor Mark Sutcliffe.

“I’m disappointed that despite conversations with the Jewish community, the board of Capital Pride has chosen to stand behind its original statement that caused significant hurt and distress for many members of the Jewish community. This decision by the board, days before the start of Pride, has unfortunately created an atmosphere where many now do not feel welcome to participate… I will not be participating in events organized by Capital Pride this year.”

To hear more about this story, listen to the 95.7 ELMNT FM news brief.

People sit around a table in a city square, trees behind them, on a sunny day

Their encampment may be gone, but protestors are still fighting for divestment at the CDPQ

July 31, 2024 by Jules Bugiel

Pro-Palestine activists are continuing to push for divestment at Quebec’s institutional investor, weeks after the dismantling of their Victoria Square encampment.

On Thursday (July 25), members of the Divest for Palestine coalition, Independent Jewish Voices Montreal, and others gathered outside the head offices of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) for a day of popular education and protest.

They’re calling on the CDPQ, one of the largest institutional investors in the world, to divest from 87 companies activists say are complicit in the war in Gaza and illegal occupation of historic Palestine.

In an email to CKUT, a CDPQ spokesperson said the investor “take[s] these issues very seriously” and is “not making any new investments in the war zone until further notice.”