Re: “ A disregard for students’ human rights” (The Telegram, Saturday, August 3, 2024 by Heidi Matthews)
August 6, 2024
Professor Matthew’s article was refreshing to read for several reasons. Typically
media establishments in Canada have covered the student protest encampments
in a very skewed light; frequently focusing on the rhetoric of pro-Israel groups. Not
only did Professor Matthews accurately cite the students’ demands to the university
administration; but she also questioned the legality of the university’s suppression
of the students’ rights to peaceful assembly and protest. She also reminded us that
Canadians standing up for international law and human rights has been part of our
history. Canadians have previously used both public space and economic tools
such as boycott and divestment to support our calls for justice. It is our public
institutions and governments that appear to have forgotten not only that history but
also their obligations under international law and the Canadian Charter of Rights
and Freedoms. All of us, not just the students, will need to continue to remind them
of those obligations.
Debbie Hubbard