'We have been harassed': UBC student group, Muslim organization say they are taking legal action over pro-Hamas stickers on campus

A University of British Columbia student group and the National Council of Canadian Muslims say they are filing a lawsuit over allegedly defamatory stickers that were put up on campus amid the Israel-Gaza war.

Late last year, stickers saying "I (heart) Hamas" in large print with "UBC Social Justice Centre" underneath started appearing on campus.

The stickers did not come from the UBC Social Justice Centre but were put up by someone affiliated with Hillel B.C., a Jewish student organization.

"It has come to our attention that, unbeknownst to Hillel, an independent contractor has participated in the distribution of offensive stickers around UBC campus," Hillel, B.C. posted on social media on Nov. 19, 2023.

⁠"The actions of this individual do not in any way reflect the values of Hillel which, upon learning of these events, has terminated its relationship with that contractor.⁠"

The organizations taking legal action say that they want more to be done, however, saying at a news conference Thursday that they are seeking damages for defamation.

“This action has done significant damage to the SJC’s reputation and has resulted in harassment of its personnel,” said Shawn Ullah with the NCCM, speaking in front of the courthouse in downtown Vancouver.

“We have been harassed, we have been defamed, and the university has done nothing about it,” said Matthew Cheesman with the UBC SJC at the same news conference.

Hillel B.C., for its part, issued a statement on social media Thursday in response – saying it has not been served with any legal documents and cannot comment on the specifics of the claim but reiterating that the person responsible for the "offensive stickers" was "immediately terminated."

"At a time when antisemitic hate crimes in British Columbia have surged, including on our campuses, we are deeply concerned that this lawsuit will result in a further reduction of safe spaces for Jewish students," the statement continued.

"Jewish students are a minority group on campus already facing challenges in accessing a safe learning environment."

The groups behind the lawsuit are also demanding that the university investigate the incident.

"Unfortunately, the UBC administration has done nothing to condemn this action. Nor has it conducted any investigation into the matter as a way to prevent such harmful incidents, fuelled by Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism, from happening again," the NCCM said in a social media post.

"The SJC is thus taking Hillel BC Society to court as a means of getting to the truth of what happened and publicly holding those responsible accountable for their actions."

Asked for a response to this, a spokesperson for the university provided an emailed statement.

"SJC is a student organization affiliated with the Alma Mater Society (AMS) … Both the AMS and Hillel BC are separate legal entities from UBC and are not under the management or control of UBC,” it read in part.

“University RCMP were alerted to the stickers by campus security because of the concerning nature of the content and the circumstances of the incident. UBC is providing information to RCMP as requested."