CFS Watch: Radicalism
The Canadian Federation of Students and their member student unions each year levy funds from all students, regardless of their political, religious or moral orientation, to fund their organizations. They have a responsibility to use these funds for their designated purpose: to be used for student services in the case of the unions, and for effective lobbying on education issues in the case of the CFS.
Instead both like to funnel student money into radical causes that don’t represent the views of students. Instead of united students, the CFS and its members take stances on radical issues that divide students and have nothing to do with their mandate, and contribute to a very personal, and very negative atmosphere on campus.
Enough with the radical pet issues, and start representing students!
Case Studies
Jewish Students Besieged in York Hillel Office by CFS supporters
On February 11, 2009 Jewish members of the Drop-YFS campaign held a press conference announcing that they had collected the 5 000 signatures needed to launch a recall of the YFS executive for their support of the 4 month long faculty strike. In an effort to distract students from the fact the YFS supported the strikers, they tried to convince students that it was part of a “zionist conspiracy” to take over the school.
A mob of YFS (CFS) supporters gathered outside the press conference shouting, screaming and banging on the walls. The press conference was shut down and the students involved retreated for the safety of the Hillel office in the York Student Centre.
The mob trapped the Drop YFS activists inside the Hillel office, and yelled racial slurs including “Die Jew”, “F—ing Jew” and “Dirty Jew” at those inside according to Hillel.
York security was ineffective at dispersing the mob, and the Toronto Police had to be brought in to escort the trapped Jewish students to safety
Among the ringleaders of the mob was Vice President- Equity for YFS, Krisna Saravanamuttu (now President of the YFS, fancy that; read more on him below). Saravanamuttu was fined $150 for contributing to the atmosphere of incivility and intimidation on campus.
This is not an isolated incident. Incidences of intimidation towards Jewish students and outright anti-semitism are shockingly on the rise at York.
Yes…this is actually happening in Canada.
Related Articles
“Jewish Students Under Siege at York U” – Canadian Jewish News
YFS President Fined for Role in Mob – The Excalibur
Eye-witness account of pro-CFS mob of Hillel office – National Post
“York Jewish Students Claim Intimidation” – National Post
UTSU Staffer Arrested at Tamil Protest; Student Money Used to Pay Legal Fees
On May 10th over 5 000 protesters marched onto the Gardiner expressway in Toronto, blocking traffic on the freeway for over 6 hours. This illegal protest was to demand action from the federal government to intervene in the Sri Lankan Civil War. Some protesters also demanded the Tamil Tigers (inventors of suicide bombing) be de-listed as a terrorist organization by Canada. Canada and over 30 other countries around the world recognize the Tamil Tigers as a terrorist organization.
Here are some links to illustrate the record of the Tigers:
Civilian Targeting
Child Soldiers
Suicide Bombing
Ethnic Cleansing
Arms Smuggling
Piracy
In the crowd was UTSU Executive Director Angela Regnier, who was arrested for mischief and interference with property. Before holding the highest paid job in the UTSU, she was Vice-Chair of CFS, further cementing the notion that there is a a revolving door between CFS and the CFS provincial wings and member students unions. (More on this in the corruption section).
There is no doubt that everyone is entitled to their opinion, but people are not entitled to block a freeway, causing danger to themselves (and the children they brought with them) and the residents of Toronto.
This radicalism is revealing of the attitudes of the people involved in the CFS. They hold titles and use students money to fuel fringe causes that aren’t representative of the student body, and more over, have nothing to do with university education. What is the CFS doing being involved in issues surrounding the Middle East or Sri Lanka when they are paid (in the case of Angela Regnier) to represent all students? In this case both students of Tamil and Sinhalese decent.
It doesn’t end there.
UTSU President Sandy Hudson appealed to other GTA student unions to contribute to Regnier’s legal fees.
You pay for Regnier’s acting on whims to illegally block an expressway.
The civil war in Sri Lanka is a tough issue, with heated opinions on both sides. The least our student unions and their CFS masters can do is stay out of it in the interest of representing all students.
Related Articles
UTSU Staffer Arrested in Tamil Protest – The Varsity.ca
Students money goes to protester’s legal fund – The Varsity.ca
“Where’s your money going?” – The Strand
“Sandy Hudson’s Free Speech Hypocrisy” – The Equivocator
YFS President Reveals Comical Ignorance and Prejudice on Michael Coren Show
This video was posted largely because of how hilarious it is to watch the President of York YFS, Krisna Saravanamuttu, embarrass all York Students by exposing his incredible ignorance on a wide range of issues.
At any rate, this video also exposes common threads of thinking within the Canadian Federation of Students (where, like his predecessor, I’m sure he will land a cushy job once his term ends).
There are several things he says you should draw attention to:
- His automatic reference to “bible thumpers in Mississippi” as an example of fundamentalists that somehow equate to Islamic terrorism, revealing a deep, and uninformed prejudice on which he could not clarify when asked to by Michael Coren
- His reference to the Oklahoma City bombing as an example of Christian fundamentalism – I wonder if he assumed Timothy McVeigh was a Christian fundamentalist because he was Caucasian? When in fact he hated Christianity as pointed out by Coren
- His belief that YFS resources belong to YFS, when they are levied from the students against their will – similar attitudes the far-left has towards taxpayer money
- According to him, The YFS is pro-choice – why is the YFS taking positions on moral debates that a) have nothing to do with the administration of student resources and b) alienate and divide the student body?
While Saravanamuttu claimed all fundamentalism is wrong, he displayed what can be called left-wing fundamentalism. He has deeply held, prejudical attitudes towards those that hold pro-life views and to those that are Christian, as evidenced by his comments. It is clear this influenced the decision of YFS to ban pro-life groups from organizing on York University campus. After all, according to him, the resources belong to him and not the students themselves.
Also, I may point out, Saravanamuttu had his brush with the law when he led a mob of CFS supporters to intimidate Jewish students involved in the Drop YFS campaign while he was Vice President Equity. He criticized pro-life activists for writing letters of opposition to the YFS position, and yet is more than happy to dish out his own version of intimidation vis-a-vis the mob, against Jewish activists at York (he was fined for his actions).
All-in-all, one word can describe Saravanamuttu’s performance below: FAIL.
