On Tuesday, Sep. 17, several members of MUN Students for Palestine (MUNS4P), masked by keffiyehs, lowered a banner above President Pro Tempore Neil Bose, during his speech in the QE II library commemorating MUN’s 100-year anniversary.
The banner read “a century of complicity. Don’t celebrate, demand change” in reference to a history of financial ties of the university since its founding in 1925, that the group calls “a legacy of shame“.
In an Instagram post MUNS4P refers to historical funding received by the Carnegie Foundation, past investments in apartheid South Africa, and the current $7.1 million investment in companies tied to Israel’s war on Gaza and illegal settlements.
Organizer with MUNS4P Sadie Mees explained what she views as the importance of the protest and divestment campaign.
“The main point behind the protest was to let the administration know that the students are still here and still fighting.”
“Every little bit counts, right?” said Mees. “Like when you think about South African apartheid, it wasn’t like one day a switch flipped and all of a sudden everybody all at once divested from spartheid and said ‘we’re not okay with this anymore.’“
“It happens little by little, it happens bit by bit, and so every little piece counts, and we could be one of the pebbles that starts the avalanche of people condemning the genocide, and hopefully applying international pressure on Israel to stop.“
Spokesperson Chad Pelley said that MUN had no comment on the protest.
Oates calls protesters “local village idiots, cosplaying as terrorists,” apologizes
MUN mechanical engineering student Ben Oates took to social media to comment.
“‘Why won’t Furey meet with us?,’” referencing MUNSU’s recent demand to meet with the premier on student cost of living issues, “says the local village idiots, cosplaying as terrorists,” Oates said on Instagram.
“Tune in tomorrow to the MUNSU council chambers as I deliver a reality check to the local Communist Pa—I mean MUNSU board.”
The comment about protesters masked with keffiyehs, a traditional headdress and symbol of the pro-Palestine movement, drew response from a Palestinian student, who has requested to remain anonymous due to fear of reprisal from Israeli officials should he return home.
At the meeting the following day, he called this comment racist, and said that “the Keffiyeh is actually not worn even by members of Hamas …. If you go through the pictures, Hamas doesn’t wear the keffiyeh. It’s actually worn in the West Bank more than the Gaza Strip.”
A day later Oates apologized for this comment via Instagram.
“With a sincere commitment to continuous learning and engagement, I realize that the story I posted yesterday was inflammatory and counterproductive. To those whom I have hurt or offended, I apologize.”
Oates presents letter to MUNSU Board
A day after the protest, on Wednesday Sep. 18, Oates addressed the MUNSU board. “Yesterday, I drew attention to belligerent and wildly inflammatory actions taken by student protestors who disrupted an event in the QEII Library,” Oates said.
He said the protest “served only to aggravate others while not advancing meaningful causes.”
“The onus is on MUNSU and its associated organizations to conduct themselves in a more professional, welcoming, and inclusive manner to ensure MUN students are not caught in their crossfire, and also to foster an environment of respectful, democratic debate.”
He said that MUNSU’s “initiatives are misguided, ineffective and counterproductive,” and that “in recent years MUNSU has transitioned from a student representative organization into a soapbox for elevating a certain political ideology and agenda.”
He presented a letter to the board, citing grievances from himself and 31 other students, who he said chose to remain anonymous. Oates said that MUNSU has made students feel mistreated and neglected by their student union.
“I put to you that regardless of what you say your intention is, the perception of a growing number of students is that you are spending our money on personal initiatives that do not consistently serve students without any opportunity for our input,” Oates said.
Oates said that although he supports “an immediate ceasefire and an end to genocide, sweeping humanitarian aid to Palestinians and a release of all hostages, an end to illegal Israeli occupations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and recognition of the State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel,” he and unnamed others feel that MUNSU’s role in the Palestine protests abandoned their core values and alienated themselves from the MUN student-body.
Oates gives recommendations
Oates issued seven recommendations to the board. The first of which called for the suspension of MUNSU public campaigns unless they receive “the express consent and consultation of at least 50% of the general student population.”
This proposal was met with laughter from some members of the MUNSU board, but Oates continued and added “or if a given MUNSU executive receives at least a 50% voter turnout in its elections, whichever applies first.”
Other proposals included tripling funding to clubs and societies, banning partisan political activity of board members, and making student union fees optional.
MUNSU accepted the letter into the official record in a 12-1-0 vote, with Executive Director of External Affairs Nicolas Keough being the only abstention.
“I definitely think all student feedback is warranted, we listen to feedback, we have a feedback form online that we regularly check and we are waiting to hear on how we can improve engagement with the union,” Keough said.
“That’s absolutely what our goal is, increase engagement and voter turnout.”
Keough took issue with some of Oates’ comments on Palestine, saying that he did not stand by them and that some Palestinian and Arab students in the room felt that they had racial undertones.
Keough said that Oates’ proposal to require over 50% of students to consent before taking a political position or over 50% turnout was unreasonable.
“I would love to see if any other student union in the country has a policy like that, because I don’t think so.” Keough said.
MUN Students For Palestine responds
MUNS4P organizer Sadie Mees voiced her opposition to Oates’ comments against MUNSU’s support for the divestment campaign.
“I personally disagreed with it” said Mees. “There are Palestinian students here, there are Palestinians in our community and I think it’s important to think about supporting our community members and caring about each other.”
“The job of the student union is to advocate for students. And I mean, students are being affected by this, so it’s their job to advocate for it.”
“I would encourage people to really get into touch with compassion and empathy for others, because it can be tempting to look away from the suffering that’s happening and it can be easier to tell yourself that there’s nothing we can do about it and it doesn’t matter.“
“It’s part of a global movement and what we’re doing does matter.“