"Such framing can easily mislead readers into viewing peaceful demonstrations in the same light as violent acts, blurring the line between legitimate political expression and criminal behavior. This conflation undermines the integrity of the protest movement and fails to provide the nuance necessary for fair and balanced reporting. It also contributes to the narrative that Palestinians and their supporters are violent, which is overwhelmingly not the case."
To:
Nancy Waugh, Managing Editor, CBC News
Brodie Fenlon, Editor-in-Chief, CBC News
Karis Mapp, Reporter, CBC News
Dear Ms. Waugh, Ms. Mapp, and Mr. Fenlon,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East to express concerns regarding the September 4 CBC article, “University of Wateroo debuts new campus emergency alert system for 2024 fall semester,” about safety concerns at the University of Waterloo, which discusses both a June 2023 stabbing incident and the recent pro-Palestinian encampment. While the article reflects comments made by university president Vivek Goel, it risks conflating these two very different events in a way that perpetuates negative stereotypes about Palestinians and their supporters.
As an aside, I would like to point out that there is a typo in the headline. It should be “Waterloo.”
Although the president referenced both the stabbing and the encampment in his reflections on the challenges of the past spring, it is important to note that these events are fundamentally distinct. The stabbing was a violent act, while the encampment was a peaceful protest advocating for the university’s divestment from supporting Israel's genocide on Gaza and Palestinians. By grouping these events together under the same discussion of "safety concerns," the article subtly implies a connection between them, which could unfairly suggest that the peaceful protest contributed to the university’s safety concerns. After Ms. Mapp mentions “safety concerns on campus” in the opening paragraph, she lists the violent stabbing and the protests back-to-back, according to that framing. In the President’s framing in the linked video, he talks about the protests as part of a “debate,” not as a “safety concern.”
To illustrate the peaceful nature of the encampment, I would like to reference an account by Nadia Khan. In June, Khan visited the pro-Palestine encampment at the University of Waterloo to sit in on a writing workshop. She described being offered water and a vegetarian sandwich by nearby campers before participating in a session where a local Palestinian lawyer and writer spoke about storytelling and imagination. The session included a group writing activity focused on envisioning a future Gaza with peace and justice. This account, detailed in Khan’s article here, highlights the non-threatening, community-focused and peaceful nature of the encampment.
The president did acknowledge that "not everyone agreed with how the situations were handled, but he also noted the strength of the university community, the thoughtful conversations, resilience, and a shared desire to improve the institution." However, despite this positive reflection, the way the article juxtaposes these events risks suggesting that the political activism of the encampment is somehow linked to broader safety concerns on campus. Such framing can easily mislead readers into viewing peaceful demonstrations in the same light as violent acts, blurring the line between legitimate political expression and criminal behavior. This conflation undermines the integrity of the protest movement and fails to provide the nuance necessary for fair and balanced reporting. It also contributes to the narrative that Palestinians and their supporters are violent, which is overwhelmingly not the case.
It is crucial that the article clearly differentiates between the violent act of stabbing and the peaceful nature of the protest to avoid suggesting that they are on equal footing. In light of this, I kindly request that CBC amend the wording of the original sentence:
“In June 2023, three people were taken to hospital after a man who had recently graduated from the Southern Ontario University stabbed them during a gender-studies class in Hagey Hall. Last semester, a pro-Palestinian encampment remained on campus for eight weeks as those involved called on the university to divest from any company that supports Israel amid the war against Hamas in Gaza”
to this suggested revision:
"In June 2023, three people were taken to hospital after a man who had recently graduated from the Southern Ontario University stabbed them during a gender-studies class in Hagey Hall. Separately, last semester, a pro-Palestinian encampment, which was a peaceful protest advocating for the university to divest from companies supporting Israel, remained on campus for eight weeks amid Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza, sparking debate."
Thank you for taking the time to consider this feedback. I greatly appreciate CBC’s commitment to thoughtful journalism and look forward to future coverage that more clearly separates distinct events.
Sincerely,
Lynn Naji
Junior Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East