The Talon Editorial Collective endorses the UBC chapter of Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights’ (SPHR UBC) call to implement the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) movement at UBC. As such, we endorse the following referendum question: “Do you support your student union (AMS) in boycotting products and divesting from companies that support Israeli war crimes, illegal occupation and the oppression of Palestinians?” We would have liked to see this appear on the AMS election ballot next week and are disappointed with the outcome of last night’s AMS council meeting.
As The Talon is committed to principles of social justice and anti-oppression, we endorse BDS at UBC to support the Palestinian cause for justice. For decades, Palestinians have been resisting settler colonialism, military occupation, and apartheid. As we at The Talon are committed to the struggle of confronting the Canadian settler colonial state, so too are we committed to the struggle of confronting Israeli settler colonialism. After all, from Turtle Island to Palestine, occupation is a crime. We join all those that are a part of the International Solidarity Movement against Israeli state violence and the ongoing subjugation of Palestinians.
BDS at UBC through the AMS would not constitute a country-wide boycott. It will be the AMS’ prerogative to check which items are on the BDS list and divest from those. It is intended to be implemented once the new SUB opens.
Our endorsement for BDS at UBC joins endorsements by the Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice Undergraduate Student Association; the UBC Social Justice Centre; Colour Connected Against Racism; the Critical Race and Post/colonial Feminist Theory Group; The Centre for Race Autobiography Gender and Age Undergraduate and Graduate Networks; and professors including Dr. Sunera Thobani, Dr. Benita Bunjun and Dr. Litsa Chatzivasileiou.
We call upon our readers and all students at UBC to support the adoption of BDS on our campus.
To read about past The Talon coverage on topics related to this issue, check out this 3-part series from last fall here, here and here.
