By: Tam Nguyen, Staff Writer and Hannah Fraser, News Editor
Content warning: mentions of genocide.
On August 14, SFU held its annual Employee Appreciation BBQ at the AQ Pond to celebrate faculty and staff. Around the start of the BBQ, an independent group of SFU students and staff marched in front of attendees to protest SFU’s continued investment in military arms companies that supply weapons to the Israeli military amid the Palestinian genocide.
A divestment petition from the SFU Faculty for Palestine details SFU’s investment in BAE Systems, Booz Allen Hamilton, and CAE Inc., noting that “the weapons and services of these corporations have collectively facilitated the killing, maiming, or displacement of millions of individuals.” As of March 31, SFU has invested $7.2 million in these companies.
The protest group included individuals from the Simon Fraser Public Interest Research Group (SFPIRG) and The Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU), who carried banners with messages such as “stop funding genocide” and “divest now / no more delay / 312 days.” After marching from Convocation Mall to the AQ pond, a protester gave a speech and claimed SFU is “not a democratic institution” as the school “continues to ignore [their] demands.”
“The Board has asked the Finance, Investments, and Property Committee to review the policy and provide recommendations.” — SFU Statement
Students and faculty of SFU have been vocal about the school’s involvement in the genocide, resulting in two Boycott, Divestment, Sanction (BDS) motions passed by the SFU Faculty Association in June. Both these motions indicated that SFU would have to formally commit to boycotting, divesting, and sanctioning the aforementioned companies. SFU agreed to discuss divesting on May 30 but have not made further statements since then. SFU stated that “the Board has asked the Finance, Investments, and Property Committee to review the policy and provide recommendations.” They added that this review will “take place over the coming months and allow for a consultative and transparent process.”
The protestors stated they were at the BBQ event to demand that SFU condemn the scholasticide in Gaza, divest from the companies supplying military arms to Israel, and keep racialized groups on campus safe. Scholasticide involves the “systemic obliteration of education through the arrest, detention or killing of teachers, students and staff, and the destruction of educational infrastructure.”
The Peak interviewed a protestor who shared a concern regarding protestors’ safety at SFU, noting that “SFU has a history of deploying very harsh security tactics and security personnel on students.” The Peak also corresponded with another student protestor who stated that “SFU holding an event to ‘appreciate’ employees is laughable, considering the suppression of Palestinian solidarity and the administration’s reprehensible behaviour displayed in trying to crush the TSSU.” During the TSSU strike in 2023, SFU was found hiring Lions Gate Risk Management Group (LGRM), a private surveillance company, to “build evidence” and file for an injunction against the picket line.
SFU stated that they hired LGRM to help “monitor picket line activity” and note down cases of “behaviour escalation at the picket line that could constitute bullying or harassment or physical safety or assault.” SFU ended its contract with LGRM in March, saying they “will reassess how [they] hire for security contracts in the future.”
“I’m honestly not surprised by the entire response. I’m disappointed, but I’m not surprised.” — a protestor at the event
At summer convocation, SFU Students For Justice in Palestine (SFU SJP) claimed there was an “unprecedented amount of security during ceremonies.” SFU responded by saying they “introduced a bag check and bag concierge service,” but noted “there was no significant increase in security presence compared to previous years.”
“I’m honestly not surprised by the entire response. I’m disappointed, but I’m not surprised,” said the protestor. “SFU has made it clear again and again that they don’t really listen to students, or faculty, or staff.” Students and staff have been protesting SFU’s investment in arms manufacturers since November last year, but SFU SJP has been advocating for Palestine on campus since as early as 2022. SFU stated that “the community will be invited to participate in this important conversation within the coming weeks.”
The protestor shared they chose to protest during the BBQ because they wanted to catch the attention of many people at the event, including senior administrators. The other protestor shared that the BBQ event was “an example of the superficial kindness the administration tries to use as a replacement for actual change.”
