I’m Not Falling For It, Action

LettersBader Takriti — Published March 29, 2011

From their most recent campaign video, you’d think the Action team was composed of a bunch of hard-core activists who have been fighting steadily against tuition increases.

Appearances, however, can be deceiving.

I go to more protests than I can count, and am heavily involved in a number of struggles in Montreal, including the fight against tuition increases. I also helped out with the WHALE and work closely with most progressive groups on campus.

In my experience, and that of other activists I know, the members of Action like to talk a lot about their willingness to fight tuition increases, but when students actually attempt to mobilize, they do everything in their power to frustrate their ability to actually take action. A good example of that is the WHALE, the largest student event at Concordia in ten years.

The CSU refused to properly fund it, refused to help organize it and attacked their former VP, Morgan Pudwell, for working too closely with “activists” to organize it.

These candidates are the most anti-activist people I know, and it infuriates me that they would lie to students about their track record in a cheap grab for votes.

A vote for Action is a vote for the same ineffective, obstructionist CSU we’ve had for two years. The same one that kicked over 70 students out of a public council meeting and refused to call on external members of the Board to resign, even after students mandated them to do so at a general meeting.

Sorry Action, we aren’t as stupid as you think we are. I’m not falling for your misrepresentations and I doubt anyone else will either.

—Bader Takriti,
Economics

This article originally appeared in Volume 31, Issue 28, published March 29, 2011.