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Montreal, Sep 30, 2024— The Anti-Racism Program of the CJPME Foundation (ARPCF) condemns the longstanding repression of pro-Palestinian voices at York University (YU), as highlighted by the “Surveilled & Silenced” report, created by the Race Equity Caucus at York University.  Sharply intensifying since October 2023, the report made clear that this suppression targets students, faculty, and staff across all levels, blatantly disregarding their rights and academic freedoms. The ARPCF considers that historic and ongoing actions by the university administration, including policing responses to student encampments, reflect a deep-seated anti-Palestinian racism (APR) that undermines both academic integrity and freedom of expression.

Jamila Ewais, Lead Researcher at ARPCF, states, “The administration's swift move to police and dismantle student encampments and groups dedicated to ending the genocide in Gaza or upholding rights of the Palestinian people, exemplifies their disregard for student demands on Palestine.”  The ARPCF considers that this punitive approach reveals a disturbing pattern of systematically silencing and intimidating pro-Palestinian activities, creating an increasing distrust in the university administration.

The "Surveilled & Silenced" report documents persistent and systemic prevalence of anti-Palestinian racism (APR). According to the report, the tactics employed by York University include censoring academic discussions, threatening students’ groups for issuing pro-Palestinian statements, surveillance and policing, firing and suspending students and faculty, and employing safety narratives to frame pro-Palestinian individuals as security threats. These actions not only suppress free speech but also foster an environment where pro-Palestinian members are alienated, vilified, and unjustly targeted, deepening the atmosphere of fear and discrimination and normalizing it. This is further intensified by the university’s selective emphasis on the safety and feelings of pro-Israeli students, neglecting similar considerations for pro-Palestinian voices facing threats, harassment, and assaults.

To address these injustices, the ARPCF demands that York University immediately cease its discriminatory practices against pro-Palestinian advocacy. The ARPCF calls the university to engage in transparent and equitable dialogue and adopt clear guidelines to ensure the fair treatment of all community members. The ARPCF joins the Race and Equity Caucus at YU in demanding that the administration transparently reveal its financial engagements, divest from all investments and financial holdings tied to Israeli military and security goods, and cease all current and future partnerships with Israeli academic institutions complicit in the violent occupation of Palestine. The administration should also create a campus environment that allows for robust political discussions, where academic freedom is uniformly respected, and ‘community safety’ is guaranteed for everyone.

About the ARPCF – The mandate of the Anti-Racism Program of the CJPME Foundation (ARPCF) is to create public awareness about racism in Canada.  This mandate falls in line with the Foundation’s broader purpose of monitoring and combating manifestations of racism, xenophobia, and discrimination by increasing public awareness of such biases.

For more information, please contact Jamila Ewais, 514-389-8668
ARPCF, [email protected]  www.cjpmefoundation.org

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