November 16th, 2023
This statement was written by the constituent representatives of the Legislative Council. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your representative.
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The SSMU Legislative Council has decided to write a statement addressing the ongoing conflict in Israel and in Palestine. This follows requests for the SSMU to address the sentiment of students on campus feeling unsafe when sharing their opinions on the matter. In a desire to best represent the views of our membership, a considerable amount of time was taken to release this statement. We deemed it appropriate to release the statement only after completing consultations with the members of the Legislative Council, their associations, and their constituents.
We recognize that rising tensions and divisions on campus are driving fear and anxiety amongst our membership. For some students at McGill, this issue is not a distant conflict but one that affects them, their families, or their communities personally. We also acknowledge the rising incidence of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism globally and seek to prevent this rise in hate from impacting students on our campus.
We do not believe McGill University administration has addressed these issues in full and call on the university to ensure the safety of students in expressing their views on campus. The university has a responsibility to foster a safe environment for students to share their opinions.
The SSMU Legislative Council acknowledges students’ desire to voice and express their concerns. Activism and advocacy have always been and will continue to be cornerstones of the SSMU and its members. However, we ask that members of our community be cognizant of the effects and potential harms that their speech may have on others. We encourage our membership to listen to each other with empathy and respect when discussing this matter. The SSMU continues to condemn any form of harassment and violence.
Students have reported fears of being doxxed or otherwise harassed due to expressing their opinions on the matter, which the SSMU Legislative Council wholeheartedly denounces. We are committed to the mission of prohibiting doxxing (i.e., when someone is targeted using the internet, usually by sharing someone’s private information) of our members to the best of our ability by working in line with the SSMU Masterplan for Addressing Racist Surveillance and Doxxing and to condemn instances of doxxings which have occurred in relation to the conflict. If you have been the victim of doxxing, the SSMU Masterplan provides a step by step guide with suggestions and resources to help you respond.
Further, the SSMU Legislative Council encourages students who have faced violence or threats in response to sharing their views on the conflict to reach out to services including the McGill Office for Mediation and Reporting (OMR), which offers confidential consultations to all McGill community members, as well as formal investigation and mediation services. Resources also exist through McGill equity commissioners and other avenues for certain contexts. For those uncomfortable reaching out to McGill-affiliated sources for assistance and information, other services are available around Montreal.
The Legal Information Clinic of McGill is a resource for students that desire legal information in response to doxxing that they have experienced related to their expression. The clinic can additionally guide students through situations of alleged discrimination for having expressed views on this matter in line with the McGill University Student Code of Conduct.
We are conscious that the situation continues to be a trying time for many community members and that no statement may change that. As such, we encourage students to reach out to their respective community, religious, national student groups, or SSMU Legislative Councillor to seek support at this time.
Signed,
The SSMU Legislative Council
You have been doxxed, now what?
Take a deep breath. We know this is scary. Blacklisting is a way to silence people and for the oppressive status quo to prevail. We are sorry you are experiencing this and we will do our best to support you during this.
Here are some mental health resources to help support you in these trying times:
- Keep.meSAFE, 24/7 access to licensed councilors available to all McGill students
- Peer Support Center at McGill
- McGill Students’ Nightline
- Tel-Aide: 514-935-1101
- Crisis Text Line: Text ‘CONNECT’ to 686-868
- Suicide Action Montreal: 1-866-277-3553
Step 1: Reaching out to the equity commissionersislative Councillor to seek support at this time.
Reach out to the equity commissioners so that they may assist you and guide you through this process. If you are not comfortable reaching out to the equity commissioners, reach out to the Vice President (Internal), the Vice President (University Affairs), or any member of the SSMU Executive Committee. You can also contact your representative to SSMU, you can find their contact information on SSMU’s website. We also invite you to reach out to advocacy groups on campus such as SPHR that can advocate on your behalf in symbiosis with SSMU.
- To contact the Equity and Policy Specialist, you may reach them at the following email address: eps@ssmu.ca
- To contact the equity commissioners, you may reach them at the following email address: equity@ssmu.ca
- To contact the Vice President University Affairs, you may reach them at the following email address: ua@ssmu.ca
- To contact SPHR, you may reach them at the following email address: mcgillsphr@gmail.com
Step 2: Exploring your options
OPTION 1: On-campus advocacy
The Office of the Dean of Students (DoS) and the McGill Ombudsperson are mandated to advocate for students and will help provide resources to you. If you wish for us to do so, the SSMU (either the equity commissioners or SSMU execs, whichever option you are most comfortable with) will accompany you in your meetings with them.
To contact the DoS and Ombudsperson:
Office of the Dean of Students | 514-398-4990, deanofstudents@mcgill.ca
McGill Ombudsperson | 514-398-7059, ombudsperson@mcgill.ca
OPTION 2: Studentcare Legal Protection Program
The Legal Protection Program “Studentcare Legal Protection Program” offers unlimited access to a legal consultation service to consult a duly certified lawyer in your province of study regarding any legal question via a toll-free legal assistance helpline. It will also include further counsel should you qualify for legal representation. Program services will be provided by members in good standing of the Barreau du Québec.
OPTION 3: Access toJustice Resources in Quebec
Community Justice Centres
Community justice centres promote access to justice by fostering citizen participation through information, support and referral services provided as a complement to existing resources.
Clinique Droit de cité
The mission of the Clinique Droit de cité is to provide support to marginalized individuals to help them rectify their legal situation or defend their rights.
Mile End Legal Clinic
Through its three service points located in three community organizations in three different neighbourhoods (Mile End, Little Burgundy and Park Extension), the Clinic offers weekly free walk-in consultation sessions to individuals from the greater Montreal region. The law students and lawyers who volunteer at the MELC provide legal information, advice and support in various legal fields.
Mobile Legal Clinic
The Mobile Legal Clinic’s mission is to promote access to justice for the homeless, the impoverished and the marginalized members of our society.
Éducaloi
Éducaloi is a non-profit organization whose mission is to inform Quebecers of their rights and obligations by providing access to high quality legal information presented in plain and accessible language.
Young Bar of Montreal
The Young Bar of Montreal offers free legal services to the public: hearing preparation assistance, call-in legal clinic, on-site small claims mediation, legal information service at the Montreal Municipal Court and LET’S TALK LAW service for 12- to 20-year-olds.
OPTION 4: Palestine Legal
Palestine Legal is an organization that provides legal advice, Know Your Rights trainings, advocacy and litigation support to college students, grassroots activists and affected communities who stand for justice in Palestine. Palestine Legal also monitors incidents of suppression to expose trends in tactics to silence Palestine activism. You can contact them through their contact form if you fear that you have been doxxed by an organization like Canary Mission. The equity commissioners or the executive member of your choice will accompany you through the process.
OPTION 5: Reclaiming your voice and name
Many people who have been formally doxxed by Canary Mission have reclaimed their voice and name by adding themselves to the Against Canary Mission list that celebrates the courage and resilience of organizers for Palestinian freedom. The site enables people who have been doxxed and who have been vilified by Canary Mission to publicly showcase their activism and achievements. Because of their social justice work, they have been the targets of smear campaigns by Canary Mission, the anonymous blacklist site which has published false and defamatory accusations against them. If you wish to contact the website to highlight your accomplishments, we will also accompany you in this process.
