April 2009
Toronto’s York University has penalized four student organizations for
participating in disorderly rallies and also says it is investigating a series
of purported hate crimes. The announcement follows criticism that the
administration has not sufficiently clamped down on rancorous, militant
behaviour, which culminated in a series of tense protests and counter-protests
involving pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli groups on February 12.
The
school said on Thursday that the participants broke an agreement that they not
disrupt classes in the vicinity of Vari Hall, a popular, all-purpose building
where students can go to lectures, socialize or protest. “We understand that
there will be protests from time to time, but these clubs agreed not to disrupt
classes,” said Rob Tiffin, vice president of students. “There were drums and
bullhorns on both sides.”
Hasbara Fellowship, an Israeli advocacy group, was suspended for 30 days and
fined $1000, the maximum penalty for the infraction. The same penalties apply to
Students Against Israeli Apartheid.
On
account of its “secondary role,” Hillel@York – another Jewish group on campus –
was fined $500, but was not suspended.
Hillel’s president, Daniel Ferman, disagreed with the penalty, saying that his
group had never made an agreement with the administration, nor did it use
amplification.
Mr.
Ferman also insisted that York still refuses to acknowledge that safety has
become an issue for Jewish students on its campus. “True confidence will not
happen until the university recognizes the severity of events in recent weeks.
This is only the first acknowledgement, and we’re upset it took this long. It
didn’t even say that Jewish students were targeted.”
In
a recent speech, York President Mamdouh Shoukri made his most explicit statement
on the controversies.
“Intimidation, bullying, and discrimination will not be
tolerated here,” he told the university senate on Feb. 26. “We are taking action
to protect the rights and the safety of all students and staff.”
The
York University Tamil Students’ Association was also penalized for a separate
protest in Vari Hall, in which it accused Sri Lanka of committing genocide
against the Tamil people. It was suspended for 15 days and fined $500.
Mr.
Tiffin also said the school is investigating complaints from incidents that
involve Jewish and pro-Palestinian groups.
On
Feb. 11, a non-denominational group called Drop YFS held a press conference to
announce it had gathered 5,000 signatures necessary to impeach the student
executive, the York Federation of Students, which has been highly critical of
Israel. The gathering was disrupted by dozens of pro school-government
protesters.
Feeling threatened, members of Drop YFS ran upstairs to the lounge of Hillel.
Eventually, about 100 YFS supporters swarmed at the door, allegedly baiting and
harassing those inside.
Mr.
Ferman, also member of Drop YFS who took refuge in the lounge, claimed that when
he briefly faced the throng, he was referred to as a “dirty Jew” and “f—ing
Jew.”
Toronto police are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime, as well
as subsequent incident in which a Jewish student was harassed as she left the
Hillel lounge a week later.
Earlier last month, another Jewish student involved in the Drop YFS movement
reported receiving a phone call at his Thornhill, Ontario, home during which an
unidentified person threatened his life and those of his family members if he
did not stop his pro-Israel activities.
A
potential hate crime is now being investigated by York Regional Police. “We’ve
made progress in identifying the number of the caller,” said Det. Brent Kemp of
the force’s Hate Crimes Unit, but would not elaborate. Mr. Tiffin suggested that
outsiders may have been ratcheting recent tensions. “They’re not all students
who show up these events,” he said. “There might be legal options that make it
inadvisable for them to come onto the campus.”
National Post, March 5, 2009.
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