Oct 06 2009
Jose Ruba at McGill – an update
We talked about it here. Here is an update:
The students’ society pro-life club Choose Life hosted an unadvertized closed club event with controversial pro-life advocate Jose Ruba, co-founder of the Canadian Centre for Bio-ethical Reform, in the Shatner building’s Lev Buhkman Room last night. Because the SSMU executive was unaware of the event, Ruba’s arrival brought on a degree of panic as the executives discussed their course of action.
This incident follows Choose Life’s decision to proceed with hosting Ruba’s pro-life presentation, “Echoes of the Holocaust,” despite a SSMU council motion last Thursday censuring the advertised event. Today’s lecture, which will present abortion parallel to the atrocities of the Holocaust, is scheduled to take place this evening from six to eight p.m. in Leacock 232.
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Tanya adds a morning after update: Jose Ruba attempted his presentation but…
As the presentation got underway, about 20 protestors began shouting and singing children’s songs. They then crowded around the vacant podium (Mr. Ruba having absconded) and continued signing [sic] for the better part of an hour, at which point police arrived. Two protestors were taken, but many were left behind. When the police left, protestors resumed and disrupted the presentation (which had fitfully resumed) until the two hour mark, at which point event organizers were informed by campus officals that time had run out and the room had to be closed for the night.
Ruba’s Facebook status this morning? “Jojo Ruba survived today. McGill’s reputation for higher learning, we’ll see.”
No related posts.
This whole incident has probable given the event more publicity than the organisers could have hoped for.
[...] Maybe it will be a behavioral chart that will work on a smiley face basis. Perhaps double-smiley face stickers will be awarded when Choose Life quietly heeds to the temper tantrums of those who believe freedom of speech comes with strings attached. [...]