July 28, 2022

Rock legend Roger Waters pens letter in support of pro-Palestinian McGill students sued by B’nai Brith

Groups call on McGill administration to defend students from B’nai Brith bullying

Yesterday B’nai Brith announced a lawsuit against the McGill administration, Student Society of McGill University (SSMU) and student group Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights. The Israel lobby group complained that undergraduate students were asked to vote on whether they supported Palestinian rights. B’nai Brith’s press release communicated that their suit was a way to deter student democracy at universities across the country.

“B’nai Brith can’t tell McGill students they don’t have the right to free speech on their own campus”, noted Bianca Mugyenyi, director of Canadian Foreign Policy Institute.

“The McGill administration must  defend its students from the pro Israel lobby”, added Karen Rodman of Just Peace Advocates. 

In response to the suit rock legend Roger Waters, who is mentioned in B’nai Brith’s press release, published an open letter “On Human Rights, McGill University, Students and Free Speech” in which he denounces B’nai Brith’s bid “to extinguish the global Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement for Palestinian rights.” The founder of Pink Floyd concludes, “all your huffing and puffing and baring of teeth signifies nothing, because your cause is morally bankrupt, your Emperor has no clothes.” 

In March 71% of students voted for a Palestine Solidarity Policy committing SSMU to divest from and boycott “corporations and institutions complicit in settler-colonial apartheid against Palestinians.” In response to the student vote, B’nai Brith called on the administration to sever SSMU’s funding. Shortly after, McGill’s administration threatened to terminate its Memorandum of Agreement with the student union, which regulates fees and other matters between the university and SSMU.

In response the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute and Just Peace Advocates organized a public letter signed by Waters, author Yann Martel, former MP Libby Davies, author Chris Hedges and 200 academics, artists and authors as well as 40 organizations criticizing the McGill administration’s threats against SSMU.

On the eve of his July 15 performance at Montreal’s Bell Centre, the founder of Pink Floyd participated in an online rally in support of McGill students organizing for Palestinian rights. The rally with Roger Waters generated significant media attention and in their press release announcing their lawsuit B’nai Brith attacked Waters for standing with McGill students.

For more information contact the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute: 514-436-7629, info@foreignpolicy.ca