Conflict at Concordia event

This piece from the Link about a possible Barak visit to Concordia has been picked up on the Canadian University Press newswire and has been reprinted in The McGill Daily.

Details of the proposed talk were hard to come by from the university administration. Communications officer Dennis Murphy said only that a request has been submitted and is under review by a committee consisting of himself, vice-president services Michael di Grappa and other members of the administration.

"A request was received for Mr. Barak to give a lecture at a specific site at Concordia and that request is being looked at," said Murphy.

The site for the speech could prove to be an important factor in how smoothly the speech—if approved and coordinated—unfolds. In a memo released by the university after the Netanyahu events, it was recommended that the speech should have been held at the university's campus west of downtown, where it could have been easier to control the large crowd.

Both pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian groups are hoping for a different outcome this time.

Erik Yingling, vice-president of information of the Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights, said he sees the request for Barak to speak as provocation and that bringing controversial political figures to Concordia will only disrupt a campus that has been relatively peaceful since Netanyahu's attempted visit.

"It will divide people literally and figuratively. We spoke with a few people who aren't even necessarily supportive of the Palestinian cause and they rolled their eyes and said 'are you serious?' It's a no-brainer, people are going to be very upset."

I received an email that Concordia has denied the request - from Montreal Hillel:

FREEDOM OF SPEECH DENIED
AT CONCORDIA


First Ehud Barak, WHO'S NEXT ???


Join us for a FREE SPEECH RALLY:
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2004
12 PM at the corner of McKay and
De Maissoneuve


Please read the open letter below for more information.
Dear fellow student,


We are writing to ask for your support. Last week, Concordia University denied former Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Barak permission to speak anywhere on campus - including the quiet, and more easily guarded, Loyola campus - hiding behind a "security risk assessment".


They claim that they cannot effectively secure their campuses. We say that it is their duty to protect their students and to allow freedom of speech to exist on their campuses.


A small group of thugs are holding an entire university community hostage and deciding who is allowed to speak and who is not. All people who value democratic principles such as freedom of expression and speech should share our outrage with this intolerable situation.


This is not acceptable in our Quebec and Canadian society. We ask for your cooperation in FREEING speech. We will be gathering outside Concordia's Hall building on Tuesday at 12pm (Corner Mackay and Maisonneuve) calling for the Board of Governors, the Administration, the Faculty and students of Concordia to reclaim their campus.


This is a historic opportunity and no matter what your political affiliation is... This affects you!


Today is a day of great sadness for freedom of expression at universities and in Canadian society.


We invited Ehud Barak so that we could all learn from him. We have been told that the Administration has restored peace to its campuses. This unfortunate incident has demonstrated that we have appeased the violent side but we have not achieved true peace. Peace should not be confused with appeasement.


We will know that we have peace on campus when we can all learn together-when we can all reason together, safely, intelligently and constructively. For that, we and our parents sacrifice so much- in order to pay tuition and learn at this school.


In return, all we demand, is equal treatment and a safe learning
environment, just like everyone else.


Is that too much to ask?


Looking forward to your support,


Yacov Fruchter
Montreal Hillel President


Jason Portnoy
Concordia Hillel co-President

Check out the Hillel website for more details.