Two members of McGill University’s students’ association have been cleared of all charges after allegedly violating the university’s code of conduct during a demonstration supporting striking support staff workers.
The students, Joël Pedneault, vice-president (external) of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), and councillor Micha Stettin are members of McGill’s Mob Squad.
“We are a non-hierarchical student mobilization group, organizing for the democratization of campus and student empowerment,” Stettin said
The students have been acting in solidarity of the McGill University Non-Academic Association (MUNACA) strike and, according to the university, violated sections 5a and 6 of the school’s code of conduct.
The section states: “No student shall, by action, threat, or otherwise, knowingly obstruct [university activities],” and that “no student shall, contrary to express instructions or with intent to damage, destroy or steal [university] property or without just cause knowingly enter or remain in any [university] building, facility, room, or office.”
The charges, related to a disturbance of traffic during the Oct. 11 demonstration in support of striking workers, were dropped Oct. 29, Stettin said.
Pedneault said he wasn’t even at the demonstration and is demanding the school make an apology.
“I personally feel harassed by the entire process,” Pedneault said. “The fact that I wasn’t at the demonstration and the fact that they still decided to take proceedings against me is a testament to what their priorities are.”
Although they won’t be facing any discipline, the situation is unlikely to be resolved any time soon, Pedneault said.
“The administration hasn’t given us a clear guarantee that they won’t abusively start disciplinary proceedings against students just for expressing their views on campus.”
This is not the university’s first attempt to quell student and faculty involvement in the strike, Stettin said.
The university pursued them because they are members of the Mob Squad and have been politically active on campus, he said.
“In both of our cases, it’s not a surprise why they decided to start disciplinary proceedings against us,” Stettin said. “We’ve been two very vocal people fighting for liberal rights on campus and denouncing the university administration’s approach to liberal relations.”
Pedneault said McGill needs to change the way it deals with student opinions and cannot continue wrongly accusing students for their involvement in various groups.
“I hope that the university will change its approach to allowing dissent on campus which at this point is basically [none].”
The university’s condemnations were of a broader scope, Stettin said.
“This was not an individual attack on [Pedneault or myself], it was an attack on activism, an attack on MUNACA, an attack on freedom of assembly, an attack on dissent," he said.
A representative from McGill’s administration could not be reached for comment.
