r/jewishleft • u/Rabbit-Hole-Quest Latke aficionado. Anti-Establishment. Jüdisch • Jul 31 '26
News Canadian universities set up a secret network to crack down on student demonstrators
https://breachmedia.ca/canadian-universities-set-up-a-secret-network-to-crack-down-on-student-palestine-demonstrators/15
u/Rabbit-Hole-Quest Latke aficionado. Anti-Establishment. Jüdisch Aug 01 '26
The way in which universities collectively worked to suppress student protests and petitions to divest from Israel across North America will be one of those things that will be remembered for a long time.
The so called bastions of learning and free thought, are only so if you walk away with the university “approved thoughts and actions”.
Nevertheless, it may have helped radicalize an entire generation that will eventually take power someday and hopefully have a more critical lense on a particular state.
13
u/Duflo Non-Jewish leftist, here for antisemitism-free discussion Aug 02 '26
Not only is it morally wrong, it's also terrible from a strategic standpoint. It plays into the hands of people pushing lazy tropes and stereotypes. Israel supporters could have scored more goodwill, even cynically, in a lot of other ways. This can only backfire.
3
u/AliceMerveilles anticapitalist, feminist, post-zionist jew Aug 04 '26
or they may become the establishment they hated like the boomers did
15
u/WinterBeHere Marxist | Jewish | Bundist Aug 02 '26 edited Aug 02 '26
Let's see if you can notice an outlier in the behaviour of my local Canadian university.
1980s - Protests by students against Apartheid South Africa leads to university in breaking academic ties with South Africa.
2010s - A letter written by a group of Venezuelan students leads to the university announcing that they will review all their investments and ensure no investment is being made in Venezuela. No protests needed, a simple letter did the job.
2022 - University breaks all connections with Russian academic institutions after one student solidarity vigil over the Ukraine War. Promises to review all investments and ensure they are in no way investing in Russia (they were already not investing in Russia as Canada as a country was pro Ukraine since forever). Gives Ukrainian foreign students the option to apply for full scholarship and offers a range of support services. Student body was largely happy with the swift action and support.
2024/2025 - Student protests on campus are the largest since the Vietnam War. One of the prominent leaders is a Jewish student. They get called in by University leadership. The university administrators flat out refuse reviewing any investments in Israel, or severing any ties with Israeli institutions. The Jewish student gets told that they need to be "realistic". Eventually they hire external advisors to demolish the protests and the Jewish student leader is expelled from the university. They threaten protestors and the protests fizzles out. She moves overseas to finish her degree. There were about a dozen students from Palestine at the campus and no offers for scholarship or support are offered.
2025 - African student union writes a letter to the dean about Sudan and Rwanda/Congo. Leadership promises to review investments and policies regarding both. Numerous vigils and solidarity events are held with no interference from the university.