Students chanted outside Richcraft Hall Tuesday to protest the threats they anticipate from Carleton’s Institutional Impartiality policy during the Board of Governors meeting.
During the protest, the policy passed.
Organized by Carleton 4 Palestine, members of the group said the protest was arranged to put pressure on the university’s administration to revoke the policy they said would hinder their ability to speak out against humanitarian issues.
The policy prohibits academic or administrative departments from making statements on political issues and prohibits staff from making statements that are interpreted as being on behalf of the university.
Students, student associations, clubs and on-campus unions will not fall under the scope of the policy, according to its final version.
The policy “clarifies the distinction between personal views and institutional representation,” the university previously told The Charlatan in a statement.
Carleton added the policy is “intended to enhance individual expression without limiting the rights of students, faculty or campus groups to engage in thoughtful discussion on public issues.”
Carleton added on its website that departments and faculty members can still organize events or invite speakers on contentious issues but “such events should make clear that they do not represent an official position of the university.”
Reida Khadour, a member of Students for Justice in Palestine, said the policy is irrational and contradicts the purpose of educational institutions.
“University is where we are supposed to become more knowledgeable about groups around the world that are suffering, yet Carleton wants to pass this policy.”
Protesters stood out in the cold holding signs with messages criticizing Carleton’s administration and the impartiality policy such as “Reject the gag order.”
Some banged on drums and yelled chants like “Admin, admin, you’re a coward, students have all the power,” outside the entrance of the building.
Inside, campus security and special constables monitored the protesters.
Members of several groups, including Carleton 4 Palestine, the Carleton University Human Rights Society and CUPE 4600 the union representing contract instructors and teaching assistants, told attendees about how the new policy stands impact their groups.
Sienna Scullion, a member of the Carleton University Human Rights Society, said the policy is stifling hopes to spark change in students’ communities.
“Imagine telling a human rights department that it cannot speak about genocide because it is too political, or imagine telling Indigenous students that land dispossession is too political.”
Nir Hagigi,* a member of Carleton 4 Palestine, said the policy is linked with colonialism.
“The policy we are resisting today comes from the same logic, as it is rooted in the refusal to name injustice and take a stance.”
Students walking past the protest stopped to listen to speeches and join the chants, with many saying they had missed class to join the demonstration.
Halfway through the protest, Hagigi announced the policy passed, and two protesters threw snow at the window where the Board of Governors were meeting.
Mackenzie Po, a protester and photographer for various activist groups, said the policy will leave a lasting impact on many groups at Carleton.
“This policy applies to Palestine, trans safety and Black safety, so the politics aren’t really a debate,” he said.
“These are real, tangible, material conditions that the Board of Governors can just forget, but the diverse students here cannot.”
To conclude the demonstration, Bessan Amer, a member of Students for Justice in Palestine, said there is still hope around the policy sparking change through protest.
“Nothing is a failure because we are still here,” she said.
“The administration understands that their reputation is being tarnished every day, and we will continue to speak out until they decide to do something about it.”
*Nir Hagigi has previously contributed to the Charlatan.
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Featured image by Kathan Kapoor/the Charlatan.
