Activists Turn Their Backs to Denialist Speakers at UofT

TORONTO, Canada—On Feb. 27, Armenian youth held a silent protest at a lecture entitled “WWI 100th Anniversary-Human Suffering in Eastern Anatolia,” featuring genocide deniers Justin McCarthy and Bruce Fein. The lecture, organized by the Federation of Canadian Turkish Associations, was held at the University of Toronto (UofT), St. George Campus.

Over 70 human rights activists from the university community, who made up the majority of those in attendance, held the silent protest by standing in unison and turning their backs to the lecturers. (Photo: Ishkhan Ghazarian)

The Armenian Youth Federation of Canada (AYF Canada), in collaboration with the Armenian Students Association (ASA) of UofT St. George and Scarborough campuses, and the Armen Karo Student Association spearheaded this protest action.

An activist holds a poster that reads, “Denial Fuels the Cycle of Genocide!” (Photo: Ishkhan Ghazarian)

Over 70 human rights activists from the university community, who made up the majority of those in attendance, held the silent protest by standing in unison and turning their backs to the lecturers.
Protesters allowed the speakers to deliver their opening remarks. However, when it became apparent that the speakers would deny and misconstrue the factuality of the Armenian Genocide, the group stood up and turned their backs to the podium as a silent protest against genocide denial.
Several racial slurs and discriminatory comments were directed at the protesters as they stood in silence.
Lecture organizers briefly stopped the event, but after campus police made it clear that the form of protest did not interfere with the event, they were asked to continue.
Protesters continued standing with their backs to the podium as Fein spoke, then marched out in an organized walk-out, leaving the remaining twenty or so attendees to listen to the rest of the lecture.
The demonstrators then marched to UofT’s Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Office to voice their concern regarding the event, and to deliver a petition of over 2,000 signatures denouncing the event and demanding that the university distance itself from the organizers and speakers. The group had previously sent to the university a letter signed by academics, human rights groups, and student associations, including Hillel of Greater Toronto, the Greek Students Association of UofT-Scarborough, and the Hellenic Students Association of Ryerson University, demanding that this event be cancelled.