The governing body of one of the University of Alberta’s largest faculties voted overwhelmingly against the leadership of President Bill Flanagan on Thursday over his handling of an encampment of pro-Palestinian protesters earlier this month. this.
The vote of no confidence in Bill Flanagan by the council of the Faculty of Letters of the University of Alberta was adopted by 56 votes to 7, with 7 abstentions.
Most people in the room wanted to let him know they were unhappy with his leadership
affirms Andy Knightpolitical science professor and Black Excellence and Leadership Fellow, who voted in favor of the motion. He will have great difficulty running the establishment.
This vote follows a series of public calls from students, faculty and alumni calling for Bill Flanagan to apologize or resign, after his decision to have the police dismantle the pro-Palestinian encampment set up on campus.
David Kahane, the political science professor who initiated the motion, was also present at the encampment as an intermediary between student organizers and university security.
He assures that the encampment was completely peaceful and that the justifications put forward by the university – to which he responded in a seven-page letter addressed to the board of directors – are absurd.
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The president of the University of Alberta, Bill Flanagan, is criticized for his decision to have the police dismantle a pro-Palestinian camp set up on campus.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Sam Martin
The president is the highest-ranking decision-maker at that university
says Mr. Kahane. He faced a peaceful political assembly and demonstration that constitutional law professors said had a high constitutional bar to clear.
CBC contacted the university to find out Mr. Flanagan to the vote. A spokesperson simply said that the president has had meaningful conversations with faculty, students, and staff, and will continue to do so in the days and weeks ahead as he focuses on the needs of the university community
.
The motion arose naturally
According to several people present during the virtual meeting of the faculty council, Mr. Flanagan came at the start of the session to make remarks and answer questions.
There was a lot of negative reaction to what he said
says Julie Rak, professor and HM Tory Chair in the Department of English and Film Studies. I think “poorly received” is a very good description.
David Kahane and others present said the vote of no confidence was not initially planned, but that the motion was tabled following remarks from Bill Flanagan.
Meeting participants openly told him they no longer had confidence in his leadership
, confirms Julie Rak. After the departure of Mr. Flanaganthe conversation continued.
We thought we should send him a message to let him know how we felt after this meeting. And we thought the best way to do that was to have a vote.
The motion approved by the faculty council states that his lack of confidence in Bill Flanagan is due to his decision to call the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) to organize a peaceful political demonstration
to its inability to provide convincing evidence
of the danger of the camp, and to his declarations inaccurate and harmful
following the dismantling of the camp.
Bill Flanagan is seeking a second term as president when his current term expires next year.
Protesters dislodged by force
The saga began on May 9, when protesters set up a makeshift encampment on campus, deciding not to leave until the university responded to their demands. They demanded the university disclose its investments and cut all ties with Israel. They also wanted the situation in Gaza to be called genocide and called on the federal government to end military contracts with Israel.
On the morning of May 11, when the number of people at the encampment was at its lowest, Edmonton police officers in riot gear forcibly removed everyone who did not obey their order to disperse.
Videos posted on social media showed police beating protesters with batons, while pepper spray was sprayed. Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi admitted he found the videos disturbing.
The provincial government has asked the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) to investigate police actions during the dismantling of this encampment and that of the University of Calgary, which had been installed the same day, but which had been quickly dismantled by the police.
The University of Alberta and Edmonton police say the protesters were in violation and their expulsion, after several written and verbal warnings, was justified. Authorities feared the encampment would become entrenched.
An open letter signed by 19 law professors from the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary says case law establishes that universities’ discretion to serve trespass notices is not unlimited
and raises the possibility that the protesters’ Charter rights were violated.
Student organizers say their behavior was peaceful and that University of Alberta management had no direct contact with them before the takedown. During the camp period, Mr. Flanagan was in Italy as part of a business trip.
With information from Taylor Lambert.
