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Police Beat Student Protesters At York U
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» kh4n replied on Wed Feb 9, 2005 @ 12:59pm |
 Coolness: 49810 | York shuts down student protest
Violent arrests end protest against university’s links to Bush administration By Jesse Rosenfeld, The McGill Daily Police broke up a peaceful protest and violently arrested five students at Toronto’s York University last Thursday. The protesters opposed links between York’s corporate investments and the Bush administration. Video taken by two observers documented police arresting five students, while punching and beating them with extendable batons. York campus security called the police because the students were distributing leaflets and using a megaphone, which is prohibited under university regulations. The demonstration was organized by The Grassroots Anti-Imperialist Network (GRAIN) and took place in York University’s Vari Hall, a central meeting place on campus. While York University refused to comment, a statement from their web site maintains that protests are not allowed in Vari Hall because of its proximity to classes. Students and faculty from the York community were outraged by the arrests, which they say are part of a growing trend towards restricting freedom of speech on campus. “This crack-down on basic democratic rights on campus is absolutely intolerable. The idea that a demonstration opposing the arrogance and crimes of the Bush administration would be targeted so viciously is nothing short of disgusting,” said Dan Freeman-Maloy, a member of GRAIN who made national news last year when he was expelled and later reinstated by York for using a megaphone in a demonstration on campus. Jay Rahn, Communications Officer for the York University Faculty Association, stood in solidarity with the protesters. “We unequivocally condemn York University’s response and the treatment of our students by police and security,” he said. Student and faculty associations in Ontario and across Canada expressed concern about the impact the incident may have on campuses throughout the country. “The administration is looking to clamp down on free speech and students’ ability to freely organize…. Students across the province are extremely concerned that what is happening at York could potentially be exported to their campus,” said Jesse Greener, Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students in Ontario, which represents over 200,000 students in the province and over 450,000 nationwide. The Toronto Police defended their handling of the demonstration, maintaining that the students provoked the situation. “The protesters were given ample opportunity to make their point. They were asked to leave; they refused. They were asked to leave again and they refused. If you disobey a lawful order, then the police are given no choice [but to use force],” said Detective Steve Craddock from Toronto’s 31 Division, which is where the five students were taken after their arrests. In its online statement, the university noted that protesters were given enough time to express their opinions and were repeatedly asked to leave before the police broke up the demonstration. The press release also stated that, according to reports from York Security and Toronto Police, some protesters assaulted police officers. This claim was not corroborated by the video released to the media. James Turk, the President of the Canadian Association of University Teachers, disagreed with Craddock’s analysis of the situation. “At a university campus the administration or the police shouldn’t be in a position to say ‘you have had an ample opportunity to express your viewpoint....’ Discussion, debate, and protest is supposed to be welcomed at a university, not limited.” When asked whether students’ rights to freedom of speech had been curtailed, Craddock answered, “[If your want to know about freedom of speech] all you need to do is go talk to Ernst Zundel.” Since the protest, thousands of students and faculty members have mounted more demonstrations against what they call an attack on freedom of speech. Last Friday, over 1,000 people from the York community gathered in Vari Hall to denounce the actions of the administration. On Monday, there was another demonstration of a similar size. “We won’t stand for paying tuition and having the administration silence our voices,” said Anna Chudnovski, Chief Steward for Unit 3 of CUPE 3903, which represents part-time instructors and teaching assistants. The York Federation of Students (YFS) is calling for solidarity from across the country. “I hope students around Canada are looking at this and can stand in solidarity with those who were arrested because this battle being fought now is for all campuses. Students should always have their right to free assembly and free speech,” said Omari Mason, President of YFS. McGill has an interim policy similar to York’s that limits where students may protest on campus. It has also faced considerable opposition from students and the SSMU. --- More information and videos of the protest can be found here: [ www.uoguelph.ca ] |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Nuclear replied on Wed Feb 9, 2005 @ 6:12pm |
 Coolness: 2604130 | I wonder what has happened of this... |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Lone_Star replied on Wed Feb 9, 2005 @ 6:39pm |
 Coolness: 153200 | That author also thinks that finding ways to fight plagiarism is a bad thing:
[ www.umanitoba.ca ] Link: [ turnitin.com ] |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» basdini replied on Sun Feb 13, 2005 @ 5:40pm |
 Coolness: 145345 | "i shot the sherif but i did not shot the deputy" |
Police Beat Student Protesters At York U
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