The Media Accountability Project  

On March 12, 2025, CJPME media analyst Lynn Naji submitted a letter to the editor in response to an article published in The Ubyssey, a student-run journalism nonprofit titled “I have questions: UBC staffer speaks out after RCMP detained him while walking past Invictus Games wearing a keffiyeh.” The letter to the editor was published the following day, highlighting concerns over the racial and political profiling involved in the arbitrary detention of Nathan Herrington, a UBC staff member and alumnus, who was detained simply for wearing a keffiyeh—an act that should never warrant police intervention. The letter emphasized that Herrington’s detention was a clear violation of fundamental freedoms and part of a broader pattern of racial and political profiling.

Section 9 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms explicitly protects against arbitrary detention, yet this incident reflects an alarming trend where Palestinian solidarity is increasingly criminalized. This issue is not new—it is rooted in systemic flaws within law enforcement, where racialized individuals are disproportionately targeted under vague justifications of “suspicious behavior.” Black and Indigenous communities in Canada, for instance, have long been subjected to arbitrary detention and over-policing. Herrington’s detention follows the same troubling logic, where merely wearing a keffiyeh is deemed suspicious, mirroring the broader reality that racialized individuals are disproportionately stopped for simply existing in public spaces.

Moving forward, CJPME will prioritize deeper engagement with students, not only by monitoring the media but also by actively supporting racialized individuals and pro-Palestinian advocates to amplify their voices and ensure they are not unjustly targeted or silenced.

"In Le, a young racialised man was unlawfully detained in his own backyard, highlighting how the perception of criminality is often tied to race and identity rather than actual behavior. Herrington’s detention follows the same troubling logic — where wearing a keffiyeh is enough to warrant suspicion, mirroring the way racialised individuals are disproportionately stopped for simply existing in public spaces."