What started as a standard Senate meeting at Queen’s became a storm of protest, glitter, and pleas for justice.
From start to finish, the first Senate of the year on Sept. 26 didn’t go according to its agenda. Shortly after an introduction by Principal Patrick Deane, Society of Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS) President Emils Matiss called for a motion to discuss the recent cuts to graduate funding as the University moves to remove the Queens Graduate Award (QGA).
READ MORE: Graduate funding slashed, a blow on equity and financial necessity
The discussion mainly focused on the effects this would have on graduate students, especially those historically marginalized, with Matiss explicitly outlining that cost of living and food insecurity are already major problems amongst students and the removal of the QGA would only exacerbate the issue.
Transparency was another topic of discussion, with Senate members critiquing Queen’s for not being forthcoming about changes to the QGA. Despite not being on the agenda for the meeting, this topic lasted for approximately an hour.
The agenda then moved to the Principal’s Report, where Deane briefly touched on issues of financial difficulties, international student enrollment, along with some other issues. This report preceded Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) Matthew Evans’ discussion on enrollment rates, where Senate was interrupted as protesters entered the room.
Six protestors, dressed in keffiyehs and masks, walked into the meeting and began speaking about issues of colonization, investments in weapons manufacturers, Palestinian human rights concerns, and Master’s funding cuts.
The protestors were mainly focused on the issue of Master’s funding, stating education is a right and the elimination of the QGA will disproportionately affect marginalized groups. They also emphasized ending the QGA is a clear attack on students in need, and senior administration are “classist, racist, [and] overwhelmingly disappointing human beings.”
In addition to funding, the protestors demanded Queen’s address their “colonial white supremacist past,” adding that their reconciliation efforts are misplaced if they don’t recognize “colonialism in Palestine.” The protestors called for the dissolution of their partnership with Tel Aviv University, and that Queen’s should divest from arms manufacturers such as Lockheed Martin, along with other demands.
Following their speeches, the protestors began chanting for the resignation of Deane and Evans, saying “we want justice, you say how, Matthew Evans resign now.”
Then, one protestor approached Evans, opened a bottle of pink glitter, and tossed it at him, covering his jacket and tie.
Queen’s Students vs Cuts (QUSVC), an organization that has also advocated for weapon divestment and graduate student funding, expressed their support for the protesters in a recent Instagram post.
“QUSVC stands in solidarity with those who disrupted today’s Senate meeting and invite[s] anyone who faces repercussions for their bravery today to reach out to us, or their unions,” the post read.
After the protestors left, a moment of silence filled the room until Student Senate Caucus Chair Lucas Balog spoke up, asking for Senate to take a break to allow the Provost to clean up, adding the protest was not representative of how the he thinks advocacy around the issue of Master’s funding should be made.
The SGPS made a statement about the protest after Senate adjourned, outlining the way they think change should be made. “The SGPS recognizes dialogue and peaceful protest as the way to raise concerns and advocate for Graduate and Professional Students. Let’s come together tomorrow to advocate for saving the Masters QGA,” SGPS said in a statement on Instagram.
Deane agreed and allowed a five-minute break before Senate continued. After Senate reconvened, the meeting moved onto other topics laid out in the agenda. One notable change was the renaming of the Department of English Language and Literature to the Department of English Literature and Creative Writing, which passed a Senate vote and will go into effect Jan. 1, 2025.
Corrections
A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Matiss was the individual who asked Senate to take a break. In fact, it was Student Senate Caucus Chair Lucas Balog.
Incorrect information appeared in the Sept. 27 issue of The Queen’s Journal.
The Journal regrets the error
Tags
English literature, Matthew Evans, Protest, Senate
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