York University threatens to revoke student unions' status over Israel-Hamas statements
York University threatens to revoke student unions' status over Israel-Hamas statements

York University threatens to revoke student unions' status over Israel-Hamas statements

The university’s statement, released to the public on Friday, addressed the “serious and ongoing harms caused by [the groups’] statement,” which declares “solidarity with the Palestinian people” against “the settler-colonial apartheid state of so-called Israel.”
"Since 1948, Palestinian people have been systemically displaced from their land and homes as a result of state-sanctioned violence, siege, and genocide," reads the Oct. 12 statement in part. "Our Unions remain unwavering in our support of the Palestinian people's fight for self-determination and liberation."
Furthermore, the student-funded groups lashed out at Israel for its air strikes on Gaza, saying they came in response to "Palestinian resistance."
In its statement, York University said the unions must retract the statement, issue an apology, acknowledge the impact of the statement on campus, and remove all union executives by 5 p.m. on Oct. 25.
"Remove all union executives"? Jesus, the ban hammer getting dropped hard.
York on the wrong side of history here
Agreed.
A main focus of education is to teach critical thinking skills, not to force students to follow what the institution decides is "right".
Yeah maybe the unions should be reminded of their duties too instead of spending time on issuing one-sided statements that are borderline cringe.
Wtf? Do they think there's some romantic revolutionary energy they need to be spreading on a topic that consists of nothing but useless violence and suffering for so many civilians in the middle east?
Also who in the world do they think cares about embarrassing statements and lip service about solidarity from some freshman students from York? This really has nothing to with critical thinking skills. In fact it's rather proof of the opposite of that concept.
You must not have read the statement
I just read it. I'll paste it below. There's nothing in there I disagree with.