A new low for two Canadian Universities

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Encampments, denial of entry, turning a blind eye to violent declarations are nothing new for the University of Toronto (UoT) and McGill University in Montreal, two of out top Universities. But this – sacrificing the children – is a new low. The synchronicity of it appears to make it a planned, coordinated outside effort (even the date on the poster is specified in an un-Canadian way).

But first things first. On June 11, Kenneth Green, a professor of UoT reported in the National Post how he tried to enter the encampment to speak with protesters, but was blocked and cursed. That’s not what got me, though. This was (boldface is mine):

I’m a prof and I’ve never seen antisemitism so vicious on campus before.

[…] I witnessed a group of toddlers from a local daycare centre being marched toward the encampment, presumably on a “field trip.” I later discovered a video of these same children being coached to raise their fists, while shouting “Free Palestine!” in a show of support in front of the encampment. Perhaps I should have been shocked to see three-year-old children being used as pawns to advance a political ideology. But if Hamas can cynically use children as human shields, why should I be surprised if its followers spread this practice to North America by manipulating children for crass political purposes.

https://nationalpost.com/opinion/i-tried-to-enter-the-u-of-t-encampment-to-speak-with-protesters-but-i-was-blocked-and-cursed-at

And then today, on June 17, a new “youth program” began on McGill campus. As reported by B’nai Brith Canada, the signup sheet reads:

  • Monday, June 17 – The beginning of Resistance
  • Tuesday, June 18 – Pan-Arabism
  • Wednesday, June19 – The PLO: From Al Karameh to Oslo
  • Thursday, June 20 – Islamic Resistance
  • Friday, June 21 – Axis of Resistance (an apparent reference to Iran’s network of proxies dedicated to destroying Israel and the United States.)

And the “program” promises “physical activity” as well as “revolutionary lessons”. With guns and little red books, as on the poster.

“Look at how they have moved the goalposts. First, they started holding demonstrations every week, despite their tendency to spout violent and antisemitic slogans. Then, they illegally occupied the campus, bullied Jewish students, harassed McGill administrators at their homes, and broke into university buildings.

“Now, we have a ‘summer camp’ openly being advertised with images of masked men holding weapons. Is McGill going to allow its campus to be used to brainwash youths into thinking that terrorism is acceptable?”

[Quoting] Richard Robertson, B’nai Brith Canada’s Director of Research and Advocacy: “We call on McGill and the local authorities to ensure that the university’s property is not used as a forum to incite violence against Israel and Jews.

“The plan for this so-called program further disproves the myth that these illegal encampments are about democracy and peaceful protest. They are, in fact, a hypocritical assault on Canadian values and Western norms as a whole.”

https://www.bnaibrith.ca/bnai-brith-outraged-by-pro-terror-youth-program-at-mcgill-encampment/

It’s not [just] about the Jews. Playing the long game, they have come for the children now. And the administrations of our top Canadian universities are complicit in letting them.

1 thought on “A new low for two Canadian Universities”

  1. edward.sternin Post author

    June 18: McGill President responds: https://www.mcgill.ca/president/article/communications-messages-community/sphr-summer-program

    • In addition to our appeals to public safety authorities at all levels of government, we will further increase the presence of security staff near the encampment and elsewhere on campus.
    • We continue to pursue legal action to bar SPHR from using the McGill name on social media platforms and elsewhere, and we are working with legal counsel to explore a range of additional measures.
    • We will pursue internal disciplinary processes.
    • We have called upon the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), the independent student union that includes all undergraduate students as members and lists SPHR as an affiliated “club,” to publicly condemn this “summer program,” sever their relationship with SPHR, cease any disbursement of funds to them, and affirm SSMU’s commitment to the well-being and success of McGill students of all identities, beliefs, and lived experiences. We have indicated that, should SSMU fail to take these steps, this will be interpreted as their endorsement of SPHR’s activities.

    Let’s see. The University will “increase the presence of security”. Great, but the security has already been protecting the encampment for weeks, while nobody attacked it. They never did anything to protect others from the encamped, so now they will do more of the same. They will demand SPHR not use the name “McGill” on social media platforms – but will not ban them from campus. They have demanded that Student Union distances itself from their “SPHR club” – and if they don’t, they will “interpret it as endorsement” as the sole consequence. Oh yes, they will pursue “internal disciplinary processes” that shall remain unnamed, a “personnel matter”, no doubt.

    I searched for the word “condemn” in the McGill President’s statement. They could not bring themselves to condemn SPHR and their “summer program”. They just asked the Student Union to condemn it.

    It looks to me like McGill University remains steadfast – in their complicity.

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