[R-G] Concordia repression of pro-Palestinian activism continues

[Macdonald Stainsby]

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MONDAY & TUESDAY – A CALL TO ACTION CONTACT CONCORDIA
ADMINISTRATION TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT AND SOLIDARITY TO SPHR
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Dear SPHR members and friends,

Once again, as Palestinian Solidarity activists, we are faced with yet
another case where the administration is attempting to censor our
actions at Concordia.

On Monday March 1st and Tuesday March 2nd, SPHR is calling on people
in Montreal and beyond to assert political pressure on the
Administration of Concordia University through vocal and written
support for SPHR and its three demands. We are asking you to call and
email members of the Concordia Administration to voice your opposition
to the University's continued discriminatory attack on Palestinian
solidarity organizing with a reminder of the facts below.

Your help is vital if Dr. Mustafa Barghouti's lecture is to take place
on Tuesday evening (info on the lecture below).

* Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) is facing
administrative obstacles in booking the H-110 auditorium on March 2nd
2004, for a lecture by Dr. Mustafa Barghouti.

* According to, Mr. Jean Brisebois director of Security at Concordia,
SPHR must pay our security fees before we are allowed to hold any
events.

* The Security office asked for $160 regarding the Norman Finkelstein
lecture (which SPHR paid) held on Feb. 11th 2004, and another $160 to
be paid upfront for Dr. Barghouti’s lecture.

* However, OTHER CLUBS HAVE NOT BEEN DENIED SPACE FOR THEIR EVENTS
DESPITE THEIR OUTSTANDING FEES. ALSO, THIS HAS BEEN THE FIRST TIME A
CLUB HAS BEEN ASKED TO PAY A BILL IN ADVANCE.

* As the only group of all student associations that has paid ALL of
their security bills we see this as nothing but a clear case of
discrimination and an attempt to silence political activism in
Concordia, especially that involving the Middle East.

* After submitting the proposal to security on Jan 21, 2004, SPHR was
not receiving any approval, but various excuses as to why the event
was still being discussed. It has been over one month since the
proposal was submitted, 2 days before the event, and we have not
received a booking confirmation for lecture hall H-110.

* Mr. Brisebois’ response to SPHR members (“In my opinion, there
should not be any political activism on campus, the university is a
place to study and I don’t like people who come to university to do
politics." and his assumption that SPHR will not pay the fees goes to
show Brisebois’ personal prejudices towards SPHR and their members.

The list of demands:
1. The security office shall make the criteria in which security
officers are assigned to events public.

2. The burden of security fees shall be lifted of student
associations. Students clubs do not have the budget or the capacity to
handle security bills.

3. A formal apology is to be issued for the unprofessional and
discriminatory treatment by the Security office towards SPHR
organizers.

Send your emails to all the following:

Fredrick.lowy at concordia.ca, Michael.digrappa at concordia.ca,
jbrise at alcor.concordia.ca, Bertran at vax2.concordia.ca,
concordian at hotmail.com, letters at thelink.concordia.ca,
letters at sphrconcordia.ca

You can call as well:
- Rector and Vice Chancellor:
Frederick Lowy
514-848 2424 ext. 4849

- Vice-Rector, Services:
Michael Di Grappa
514-848 2424 ext. 4815

- Interim Dean of Students:
Dr. Charles Bertrand
514-848 2424 ext. 3500

- Head of Security:
Jean Brisebois
514-848 2424 ext. 3700

Alternatives, in collaboration with the
Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR),
Canadian Palestinian Foundation-Quebec (CPF-Q),
and the Quebec Public Interest Research Group (QPIRG)Concordia
present:

Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi
"Grassroots Democracy Under the Occupation"

Tuesday, March 2, 2004 - 7:00 PM
Concordia University, Hall Building H-110
1455 de Maisonneuve West

Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi is the Secretary of the Palestinian National
Initiative, a recently established democratic opposition movement in
the realm of Palestinian domestic politics. The Palestinian National
Initiative is a movement that came as a response to popular demands
from women and men calling for increased participation by Palestinian
citizens in the process of nation building and for the opportunity to
participate in the just struggle for the realization of an
independent, viable, democratic and prosperous state which guarantees
security, justice, equality before the law, and a dignified existence
for its citizens.

The initiative also calls for an unequivocal end to the Israeli
occupation, removal of illegal Israeli settlements and a just solution
to the right of Palestinian refugees. Additionally it calls for
immediate international protection to allow democratic elections at
all levels of the political system, and reform of political,
administrative, and other institutional structures in order to meet
the needs of the Palestinians.

While Palestine keeps suffering from the disastrous consequences of the
Israeli military occupation of its territories, and the conflict is
only aggravating due to the bearing of colonialist and imperialist
initiatives, such as the erection of the Apartheid Wall, the
Palestinian civil society gets organized. But what are the
perspectives of the struggle and resistance for the Palestinian social
movements? What are the democratic alternatives for Palestine?



-- 
Macdonald Stainsby
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/rad-green
In the contradiction lies the hope
		--Brecht.