Vancouver Island University Breaks Its Promise, Suspends Palestinian Students for Speaking Out

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Write to
Michael Quinn
Deborah Saucier
Judith Sayers
Nate Bello
Karen Bittner
Natasha Bob
Cynthia Murphy
Bryan Tinlin
James Cassels
William Boyte
Carolyn Russell
Irlanda Price
Janelle Lacroix
Michael Eso
Corry Gervais
David Paterson
Kiersten Packham
Brian Dick
Chris Yeast
Chris Jaeger
Kurtis Johnstone
Johnny Blakeborough
Board
Sarah Mei
Kelly Muir

Your Letter

Dear President Saucier, Chancellor Sayers, and Board of Governors:

I am writing to you as a concerned community member and [state your connection to VIU here, if any]. It has come to my attention that the university has issued punitive measures against two Palestinian student organizers, despite previous public statements that such punitive measures would not be taken. I am concerned that these measures are underhanded, dishonest, and racially motivated.

This letter is to request that you revoke the suspensions of Sara Kishawi and the other student suspended [Student A]. As you are aware, Sara and Student A were part of a larger group of VIU students who have been protesting against the genocide in Gaza and asking VIU to meet certain demands, including: disclosing their investments and divesting from those which support the State of Israel and its military; creating a safety plan to protect Palestinian, Muslim and Arab students from racist violence on campus; and making a statement condemning the Israeli attack on Gaza, similar to the statement the university made condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

A year ago, these protests were aimed at Israel’s assault on Gaza and the military support and diplomatic cover being provided by western powers. This support extends well beyond our governments. Investors, including universities like VIU, hold Canadian and global equities that include weapons manufacturers. Many of your students, their families, and sympathetic community members spoke out about this complicity.

VIU, unlike many universities across North America, did not clamp down violently on peaceful protests on campus. I’m grateful that VIU did not resort to those disgraceful and draconian measures. However, the court case that VIU initiated against select students, and now the suspensions of another subset of the protesters, are both underhanded attempts to bully students who were exercising their Charter rights.

I remind you: students assembled peacefully and took part in peaceful protest. The suspensions are arbitrary, unnecessary, discriminatory and frankly vindictive. The students are heroes for taking a stand against one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes of the 21st century.

What’s more, you have only chosen to suspend two students who both happen to be Palestinian women from Gaza. Anyone who knows about these suspensions could not help but see this choice as racist and discriminatory, as well as a calculated and strategic attack against two students likely to be most vulnerable and most personally affected by both the humanitarian crisis in Palestine and anti-Palestinian racism here in Canada.

Please know that any action you take or fail to take in the coming months will have an impact on VIU’s reputation for years to come. Your institution will either be known as one that stood up for human rights and international law, or one that used intimidation, censorship, legal bullying, and surveillance against your own students. Your actions have led to additional difficulty and pain for young people who were courageously standing up to injustice. Their protest always included an opportunity for you to help them in that struggle.

I call on you to revoke the suspensions immediately, apologize to the two students, and commit to meeting the other demands of the Students for Palestine Committee.

Sincerely,

______

Vancouver Island University Breaks Its Promise, Suspends Palestinian Students for Speaking Out

Write to

Michael Quinn

Deborah Saucier

Judith Sayers

Nate Bello

Karen Bittner

Natasha Bob

Cynthia Murphy

Bryan Tinlin

James Cassels

William Boyte

Carolyn Russell

Irlanda Price

Janelle Lacroix

Michael Eso

Corry Gervais

David Paterson

Kiersten Packham

Brian Dick

Chris Yeast

Chris Jaeger

Kurtis Johnstone

Johnny Blakeborough

Board

Sarah Mei

Kelly Muir

Your Letter