One SAIA protester, a Syrian refugee who lost 50 members of his extended family and came to Canada three years ago, said he was protesting the event in a show of solidarity. As a refugee himself, he said he understands the pain of the Palestinian people, and that a university campus is not the place to host members of a foreign military.
“You go to an educational platform, you do not present any type or any form of aggression, any type of hostility, violence … this is where you teach ethics, morals, knowledge,” he said. “Go hold your gun in your country, go protect your country, don’t come here in a school.”
He also said that at one point, after he chanted “Free Palestine,” a man rushed at him, grabbed the front of his jacket, pushed him and punched him.