Memorial University student and protestor will be the subject of an upcoming documentary: Matt Holds Up a Sign.
Matthew (Matt) Barter, an undergraduate political science student, is no stranger to the public eye.
Barter claims he has been protesting tuition hikes “as far back as 2015” while also being an avid vocal critic of the university on his website.
Last winter, however, Barter made headlines when he was banned from Memorial campus’ after protesting Memorial’s tuition hikes during a news conference.
In his effort to protest, Barter rose with President Vianne Timmons and attached a poster to the podium while she was speaking. Barter then stood near her, holding a sign stating, “STOP VIANNE! No to tuition hikes and out-of-control spending.”
This act inspired the upcoming documentary, Matt Holds Up a Sign, as Memorial University banned Barter from campus for three months the day after his protesting in the news conference.
The ban allowed Barter to attend classes. However, it stipulated that whenever Barter arrived on campus, he was required to check in with campus security. While the ban has since been lifted, Barter is on a probation sentence until December 2022.
Although Barter says the university hasn’t told him what the probation sentence entails, even though it was implemented in March.
Produced by Island Horse Productions, Matt Holds Up A Sign focuses on Barter’s struggle at MUN and how the university has dealt with protestors in the past compared to their dealings with Barter.
In the trailer of Matt Holds Up A Sign, Barter claims: “they seem to want to punish me because they think I am an easy target because I have autism.”
The university administration has not verified this claim.
The official trailer for Matt Holds Up A Sign is available now. The documentary is set for release in September 2023.
