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Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) is a non-profit, student-based organization based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It gained a wide profile after instigating a protest in Concordia University, that forced the Israeli ex-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel a speech that was to take place on 9 September 2002. Rama Al-Malah serves as its spokesperson.
History
SPHR was established in 1999 as a result of a merger between two student organizations based at Concordia University and McGill University in Montreal; the Concordia Centre for Palestinian Human Rights (CCPHR) and the McGill Palestinian Solidarity Committee (PSC).
In 2009, the organization publicly threatened civil disobedience and unrest in response to the Canada Border Services agency barring then British MP George Galloway from entry into Canada.
The groups have sponsored controversial anti-Israel rallies on many campuses, especially since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. For example, McGill University recently asked the McGill branch "to stop using the school's name over posts on social media that described Saturday's attack in Israel as 'the resistance in Gaza led a heroic attack . Their march toward liberation is as monumental as their rockets' and, at a rally, asked Montrealers to 'celebrate the resistance’s success.'" In response to this characterization of its posts, a statement from Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights McGill stated, "'We reject the claims by the McGill administration that SPHR McGill’s social media posts 'celebrate recent acts of terror and violence,' they wrote. 'We are not celebrating violence, we are looking at the prospect of liberation.'"
"Revolutionary youth summer program" post controversy
In June 2024, the group announced on Instagram that it will be hosting a "revolutionary youth summer program" at McGill University's lower field that includes "physical activity, Arabic language instruction, cultural crafts, political discussions, historical and revolutionary lessons". The post, featuring gunmen wearing keffiyeh, drew criticism from Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and B'nai Brith Canada, and was called "extremely alarming" by the university president Deep Saini.
See also
References
- Canadian Press (January 15, 2003). "Concordia U. regrets anti-Netanyahu riot". CTV.ca. Archived from the original on June 1, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
- Rowe, Daniel J. (6 June 2024). "Montreal police arrest 15, disperse McGill pro-Palestinian protesters with pepper spray". Montreal. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- Lalonde, Michelle (6 June 2024). "Police spray tear gas, break up pro-Palestinian occupation of McGill building". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- "Organizers seek to overturn ban against British anti-war MP". The Toronto Star. 2009-03-22. ISSN 0319-0781. Archived from the original on 2021-09-28. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
- Morgan Lowrie (2023-10-13). "Canadian universities face challenges navigating Israel-Hamas war". The Hamilton Spectator. The Canadian Press. ISSN 1189-9417. Archived from the original on 2023-11-02. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
- Morgan Lowrie (2023-10-13). "Canadian universities face challenges navigating Israel-Hamas war". The Hamilton Spectator. The Canadian Press. ISSN 1189-9417. Archived from the original on 2023-11-02. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
- "McGill encampment to host anti-Israel 'revolutionary youth summer program'". National Post. 14 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- MacDiarmid, Campbell (14 June 2024). "Pro-Palestinian Canadian students' post for 'teach-in' features masked guerrillas". The Guardian.
- Greig, Kelly (14 June 2024). "McGill concerned about 'extremely alarming' poster for summer camp at pro-Palestinian encampment". Montreal. Retrieved 14 June 2024.