News

 

the other press

Violence Erup

Holly Beck
The McGill Daily

E

   

MONTREAL (CUP) — Violent student
demonstrations at Concordia on Monday
prompted university administrators to can-
cel an afternoon speech by former Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstra-
tors surrounded Concordia’s Henry F. Hall
Building, where Netanyahu was scheduled
to speak in front of an invite-only audience.
The crowd consisted mainly of Arab and
Muslim student activist groups, but also
included sympathetic students and Jewish
supporters of a Palestinian state. Protestors
carried placards and denounced Netanyahu’s
human rights record against Palestinians.

“The fact that the people he kills are
Palestinians doesn't make him ‘controversial’
or ‘interesting,’” yelled Justice and Peace in
the Middle East activist Samer Elatrash from
atop a van on Rue DeMaisonneuve to the
crowd outside the Hall Building. “A war
criminal is a war criminal.”

As the scheduled noontime start of
Netanyahu's speech drew near, militant pro-
testors clashed with the predominantly
Jewish crowd entering the Hall Building,
allegedly attacking people as they passed by.
“Many people were assaulted, hit, punched,
spit at, and kicked,” said Yoni Petel,
President of Hillel Montreal. Hillel invited
Netanyahu to Concordia and issued tickets
to the speech.

The counter-demonstration was organized
by Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights
(SPHR) under the umbrella group Montreal
Coalition for Peace.

While protest organizers declined to com-

ment on the purpose of the demonstration,
participants said they believed the goal was
to prevent the speech from taking place.
As tensions outside escalated, protestors
gained entrance to the building through a
side door and broke down a large wooden
barrier on the mezzanine. They then
stormed down the escalators and were met
at the bottom by police.

When protesters outside shattered a large
plate-glass window and began hurling
objects at the police inside the lobby, the

police responded by firing pepper spray. As
the searing gas filled the lobby, police were
met by a shower of wooden furniture and
metal chairs thrown by the protesters
camped out on the escalators.

After conferring with the Montreal Police,
the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,
Concordia Security and Netanyahu’s private
security, the university decided to cancel at
roughly 1 p.m.

“We couldn't guarantee the safety of all
involved, including Mr. Netanyahu,” said
Concordia Executive Director of
Communications Dennis Murphy.

Netanyahu instead held a press conference
at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, just blocks away
from the turbulent scene at Concordia. The
former Israeli Prime Minister sharply criti-
cized the Canadian government for failing
to provide sufficient security.

“In Israel, we enable free debate and free
discussion in conditions of much greater
duress,” he said.

Montreal Hillel President Yoni
defended Hillel’s decision to
Netanyahu to Concordia.

“At the time we thought it would be a
great chance to have students come and
learn from a man with a great wealth of
experience,” Petel said. “But [protesters]
weren't interested in challenging him. They
were only interested in preventing him from
speaking.”

Police arrested five protesters at the scene.
Charges ranged from mischief and gathering
illegally to resisting arrest and assaulting a
police officer.

The Concordia Student Union has con-
firmed that all five of the arrested protesters
were Concordia students, including a mem-
ber of the student union executive. Vice
President Campaigns Aaron Maté was
arrested after he stepped between protesters
and police, said student union President
Sabine Friesinger. “Video footage shows he
was telling people to relax,” Friesinger said.
“But maybe police felt he was aggravating
the situation.”

Petel
invite

september 18, 2002

ts at Concordia

HE'S NOT LOOKING
FOR TROUBLE...

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