Around 20 students wearing keffiyehs and face masks held a sit-in at the Registrar’s Office inside Gordon Hall on Dec. 6, demanding updates from Queen’s University’s Responsible Investment Committee regarding their review of the Queen’s University Apartheid Divestment (QUAD) request to divest from companies doing business in or with the State of Israel.
The protest, organized by Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR), criticized the University’s lack of transparency and urgency in addressing the issue and request made by QUAD. As a result, the Registrar’s Office closed its in-person services for the day.
In a press release sent to The Journal, SPHR questioned the impartiality of the Responsible Investment Committee, citing its composition and lack of consistent attendance by committee members during presentations. They pointed out the committee includes only one student representative, Rector and student trustee Niki Boytchuk-Hale, despite the significant impact its decisions could have on the student body.
SPHR also criticized the committee’s avoidance of the term “Palestine” in its official communications, arguing this undermines the legitimacy of their claims and contradicts language used by international organizations such as the United Nations.
Students at the sit-in called for updates from the Responsible Investment Committee and a meeting with the University’s senior administration, particularly Principal Patrick Deane. While Principal Deane didn’t attend, students were informed Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) Matthew Evans would meet them at 11:30 a.m. The University confirmed in a statement published in the Gazette that a senior administrator met with the students on Friday, but didn’t elaborate on the outcome of the meeting.
SPHR also accused the committee’s Chair, Jim Leech, of holding anti-divestment bias, citing his reluctance to consider divesting from weapons and his belief that Queen’s divestment from South African apartheid in 1987 was driven more by government action than student protests. SPHR further called on the University to revoke the recently introduced guidelines on peaceful protests, claiming they infringe on students’ rights to free expression.
The Journal contacted Leech through the University to comment on the claims made by SPHR but didn’t receive a response. SPHR also didn’t respond to The Journal’s requests for further elaboration on their demands.
Currently, the Responsible Investment Committee is in the process of producing a recommendation report for Principal Dean to present to the Board of Trustees. The timeline of when the report will be presented and finalized remains unclear, as no specific date has been announced.
Tags
Divestment, Queen’s University Apartheid Divestment, Responsible Investing Committee, SPHR
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