Concordia quashes political speech
A Montreal judge has issued an injunction to stop a discussion on the Mideast conflict at Concordia University.
The event was to have been attended by two NDP MPs and a human rights activist.
The judge ruled freedom of expression cannot be exercised at any price.
The injunction is designed to stop Svend Robinson, fellow MP Libby Davies and activist Judy Rebick from taking part in a campus discussion on the Middle East conflict.
The MPs' speeches would violate a controversial moratorium at Concordia that forbids public events related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The ban was put in place after a violent protest forced the cancellation of a speech by former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
'Not without limits'
Justice Jean Guilbault of Quebec Superior Court granted a 10-day injunction, saying freedom of speech is not without limits.
Organizers of the event quickly announced plans to go ahead, moving the speeches to the streets just outside the downtown university campus.
 Svend Robinson |
NDP members of Parliament Svend Robinson and Libby Davies were invited, along with activist Judy Rebick, to speak at "Peace and Justice in the Middle East," an event organized by the Concordia Students Union.
But the university has a three-month moratorium on public events dealing with the Mideast conflict, and asked a judge to block the event.
The school imposed the ban after a violent protest forced the cancellation of a speech by former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in September.
- FROM SEPTEMBER 9, 2002 - Netanyahu harsh on Canadian security after speech cancelled
Some students plan to protest against Friday's event, accusing the student union of having organized the demonstration that shut down Netanyahu's talk.
Robinson called the school's action a "shameful" attack on freedom of speech. He said a publicly funded university should be a bastion of free speech.
"Concordia is not a Charter-free zone," Robinson said after receiving notice of the injunction. "It can't hold up its bylaws and statutes and somehow say the Charter of Rights doesn't apply."
The students union organized the event at Robinson's suggestion, because he wanted to challenge the school's moratorium.
Bram Freedman, a lawyer for Concordia said the university is within its rights to limit freedom of speech on campus, and that the circumstances justify the limit.
- FROM SEPTEMBER 18, 2002 - Concordia stands by moratorium on political discussions
In court, Concordia lawyer Christine Beaudoin said freedom of expression "is not an absolute right." "One of the limits to this freedom is when it's exercised in a context that brings violence."
Organizers of the event said the judge's decision would be respected. But the event will go ahead anyway, at a location off campus.
- FROM SEPTEMBER 27, 2002 - Concordia's Middle-East moratorium still stands