The Executive of CUPE 3903 together with the CUPE 3903 Palestinian Solidarity Working Group vehemently condemn York University administration’s use of police force to physically remove the York Popular University for Palestine encampment held at the Peoples’ Commons for Palestine. It is appalling for the University to claim a “commitment to dialogue and engagement” based in “heartfelt empathy”, and then immediately direct police intimidation, aggression, and destruction onto peaceful student activists.
Student, academic, and worker activism—particularly around Palestinian solidarity and denouncing the genocide in Gaza—has been met with intense backlash this year on campus. The police suppression of political expression on our campus was also apparent in the arrest of one of our picketers during our recent strike. The continued, reckless disrespect of the rights and well-being of students and workers by the University’s administration and Board of Governors has been made clear. The near immediate removal of the student encampment three minutes after they were given notice, an aggressive move unseen at other local universities, is a disturbing and shameful escalation of this trend.
We reject the University’s framing of the student activists as a mysterious “group of individuals”. Student activists are vital members of the York University community. As much as the University might want to obscure this, the call for divestment, disclosure, and boycotts have been echoed from students, staff, faculty and members across the community over many years.
We absolutely declare: under no circumstance will we tolerate the cost of our education and employment being paid with human lives.
Shame on York University.