Hamilton community members and students call for justice and accountability in wake of Erixon Kabera's death
On Nov. 14, 2024, over 400 people gathered outside Hamilton City Hall in the rain to honour the memory of Erixon Kabera. A well-known member of the Rwandan-Canadian community, Kabera was fatally shot by police two weeks ago.
The crowd, which included some McMaster students, marched from City Hall to the Hamilton Central Police Station, demanding transparency and accountability in the investigation of his death.
Kabera, 43, was fatally shot on Nov. 10, 2024, after an encounter with police. According to the Special Investigations Unit, which is responsible for investigating circumstances involving the police, officers responded to a call reporting a man at an apartment building with what appeared to be a handgun.
The Special Investigations Unit initially stated there was an "exchange of gunfire" during the incident but later clarified that Kabera did not fire a weapon. The Special Investigations Unit stated that two police officers discharged their firearms and that a replica gun was found at the scene.
Kabera's family has expressed outrage over the evolving narrative from authorities. "We find that reversal of crucial facts, a full day after telling the entire world otherwise and painting an image of violence for our very own, to be deeply outrageous and unnerving," expressed Kabera's family in a statement to The Public Record.
We find that reversal of crucial facts, a full day after telling the entire world otherwise and painting an image of violence for our very own, to be deeply outrageous and unnerving.
Erixon Kabera's family
The family described Kabera as a compassionate and honourable man who dedicated his life to his three sons, Garry Sean, Terry and Zack, aged 10, 13 and 17.
Hfsa Awan, a McMaster undergraduate student who attended the event, shared a reflection upon attending. “The memorial felt really empowering . . . I expected mourning, but instead, it was a powerful moment of people coming together and calling for justice,” said Awan.
Awan believes students can play a crucial role in raising awareness by fostering open dialogue and educating themselves on issues like police accountability. “Our privilege as students is to educate ourselves—that’s how we can contribute,” said Awan.
She also expressed feeling that the university should take a more active role in addressing the tragedy, noting that its proximity to campus makes it a deeply local issue. “Everyone is affected, and the university should be uplifting students who are mourning his death,” said Awan.
Kabera had lived in Canada for 20 years, building a life for his family as a resource officer with the Canada Revenue Agency and starting a small business. He was an advisor to the Rwandan Canadian Healing Centre for nearly a decade, contributing to community initiatives and supporting others.
During the vigil, speakers remembered Kabera's kindness and called attention to the Hamilton Police Service's disproportionate use of force against Black residents. The Rwandan Canadian Healing Centre issued a statement calling for "a full transparent investigation" into the circumstances of Kabera's death.
Kabera's close friend Andy Ganza, who had been on his way to visit Kabera the night of the incident, has started a GoFundMe campaign to support Kabera's family and cover funeral and legal expenses.
"Erixon dedicated his life to his family, faith and community, building a reputation as a compassionate, gentle and honourable man," said Kabera's family in their public statement. Community members continue to mourn his loss and demand answers about the events that led to his tragic death.
Erixon dedicated his life to his family, faith and community, building a reputation as a compassionate, gentle and honourable man.
Erixon Kabera's family
While activism might seem daunting, students should embrace it to help shape meaningful identities, build character and drive change in their communities
The recent surge of student-led protests serves as an example of the impact that student activism can have on oneself and one's community. Though we are all just individuals, our collective efforts to make change for issues that we care about do not only have a greatly meaningful impact on these issues, but also on our identities and our character.
Considering this, I think that students should get involved with activism at least once in their academic career as a way of understanding their community, campus culture and to become a more upstanding and confident person.
McMaster has faced its share of challenges regarding racism and social injustice, but students' commitment to ongoing protests has helped hold the institution accountable. Recently, the voices of hundreds of students and Hamilton community members echoed through campus as they protested together as a symbol of solidarity.
The protests not only demanded institutional divestment and support for victims of the war in Gaza, but also raised broader questions about why the community felt the university's values were misaligned with those of the majority of the student body.
Students and members involved with activism can have an impact both on campus culture and can effect real change in the world.
Students and members involved with activism have a monumental impact on campus culture and what students value as social progress.
In addition, student protest and other forms of activism form and strengthen ties within communities across campus and the greater Hamilton area. They prompt members of the university community to re-evaluate how interconnected our role is as global citizens. Protests also bring to light how collective inaction further oppresses the voices and concerns of those marginalized.
Getting involved in activism doesn't just strengthen communal ties but also build's character. Activism and advocacy are great ways to apply ourselves to effect change on the world while we are still students.
Through activism, we often reflect on the privileges we hold, reminding ourselves of the stark realities faced by others around the world who are less fortunate. I think that this keeps us grounded and fosters a deeper personal connection to the causes we support.
I understand the norm to lie low and voice neutrality is more comfortable, as I once found it to be my refuge from reality. But, stepping out of your comfort zone and challenging social norms by getting involved in activism allows you to embrace reality and build character.
So, I invite you to take inspiration from the generations of McMaster students who built the stepping stones for impact by protesting various issues, from the colonization of Turtle Island to the Black Lives Matter movement. I think that getting involved in advocating for a cause you are passionate about is one of the most meaningful things you could do in your life as a student and a young adult.
The collective efforts of upstanding individuals are instrumental in driving the change that holds institutions like McMaster accountable and extends support and a sense of community and solidarity to those who are marginalized.
How does one go about getting involved? Activism could simply start by setting clear with yourself your intentions and thinking deeply about your beliefs. What values and morals do you hold? How do you intend to represent and uphold them as you progress through your academic career as an advocate in your field?
Overall, I think activism creates a unique opportunity for students to get involved in creating meaningful change within their communities. This involvement helps them gain a deeper understanding of the social and cultural dynamics around them, contributing to a more grounded and empathetic perspective and sense of self.
Campaigning for re-election, Popovic's platform focuses on alleviating food and housing insecurity while improving student life on campus
Current McMaster Students Union President Jovan Popovic is running for re-election for this year’s election, with a large and diverse platform covering a range of issues. In his written campaign statement, Popovic expressed his commitment to help alleviate the stress of rising food and housing costs, improve student events and recreational services on campus and advocating for increased transparency, improved transit for commuter students and for changes to McMaster’s policies on the use of generative artificial intelligence.
Alleviate stress of rising living costs
Recognizing that many students are facing the strain of the rising cost of food, Popovic proposes to initiate a program that would serve complimentary soup and bread to students four days a week from noon to 2:00 p.m. throughout the school year.
Popovic states in his platform that the program would be able to serve between 75,000 and 95,000 portions throughout the year. To fund the initiative, Popovic plans to hold a referendum to instate what he believes is a “modest” five dollar increase in student union fees.
To address the rising cost of housing and the greater and greater difficulty students face in finding housing, Popovic has the goal of advocating for and bringing McMaster to commit to halting further increases in the student population. Popovic also has pledged to lobby the federal government to provide Hamilton with financial assistance to build more housing, via the housing accelerator fund.
Improve student events
In light of this past year’s order from the university for students to not attend homecoming parties in neighbourhoods surrounding campus, Popovic has promised to ensure the first university-approved on-campus homecoming event next September — the first since 2019.
Popovic has stated in his platform that both McMaster University President David Farrar and Hamilton Ward 1 councillor Maureen Wilson have expressed to him strong support for this plan. Plans for the return of homecoming include having food trucks, community vendors, live performers and a late night concert.
Recognizing that McMaster sports teams and the Department of Athletics and Recreation currently face financial constraints, Popovic has stated he intends to assist sports teams and recreational clubs by establishing a new line of funding to assist such groups. In an interview, it was elaborated that this funding would specifically be used to provide venues for team and club events at reduced or no cost.
Further aiming to empower and improve athletics on campus, Popovic has indicated his plans to improve the ability of student athletes and sports teams to make their concerns heard and known. A specific and detailed plan has not been included as to how to achieve this end, but Popovic refers to making use of the Varsity Leadership Committee and forming “new communication channels for athletes” in his platform statement.
Aiming to improve opportunities for social events and outings on campus, Popovic proposes extending the hours of TwelvEighty Bar and Grill to be open until at least 10:00 p.m. Additionally, Popovic envisions TwelvEighty continuing to serve as a restaurant throughout the day, while serving as a bar during the extended late hours.
Furthermore, Popovic proposes the introduction of game day specials at the venue, such as half-price wings, on days when sport games are being played. This initiative, along with having more nights dedicated for hosting club events, looks to increase the attractiveness of TwelvEighty as a social hub for students.
Increase MSU transparency
An apparent lack of transparency and communication between students and the MSU, as well as students' awareness of the MSU, is one critical area in which the current president outlines significant improvement is required. Popovic has proposed a restructuring of the MSU’s media team, while taking inspiration from Brock University Student Union.
The proposed plan to improve communication and student awareness involved creating three student positions to create and post content on the MSU’s media platforms, which would rotate shifts throughout the week. Popovic elaborated in an interview that the idea behind the rotational roles is to improve the quality of content produced by having a more diverse team of student employees that can better achieve the work together and engage with students more frequently.
Advocate for improved transit
To improve transportation for students who commute, Popovic aims to collaborate with Metrolinx to both increase GO bus route frequency and expand routes. Popovic also has stated an intention to work with McMaster Parking Services to devise solutions to improve availability and affordability of parking for students who commute.
Meanwhile, to improve mobility for students nearby and across campus, Popovic endorses holding a referendum to enact a bike pass program to increase the number of bikes on campus and make them more affordable to use.
Change to McMaster's AI policy
Lastly, Popovic has outlined that he believes McMaster’s current stance on and policies regarding the use of generative AI in academic work is too restrictive and vague. He has indicated his intention to advocate for the university to improve clarity in its written AI policies and to argue for the loosening of restrictions on the use of AI by students.
Overall, Popovic's platform is an extensive one that aims to improve student life by addressing food and housing insecurity, and improving transparency, transportation and social and extracurricular experiences on campus.
Voting for the MSU presidential election takes place from Jan. 23 to Jan. 25 using the Simply Voting platform. More information about the election can be found on the MSU Elections website.
C/O Robert Bye, Unsplash
Check out these advocacy and social justice groups on and off campus to start finding your community
Community is a crucial piece of any university experience. It will be even more important this year as we return to campus, particularly for the many students for whom it is not only their first time in Hamilton but also their first time away from home entirely.
Finding and building community can be difficult enough after a move, nevermind during a pandemic. It can be difficult to know where to start. One place might be the issues in the world you’re passionate about. Groups or organizations dedicated to these issues are wonderful places where both community and social justice advocacy can thrive. Furthermore, having a strong sense of community, while also tackling these issues you care about can help you cultivate support systems not only as you navigate university but also in the face of larger issues.
Included below is a list of groups both on and off campus, sorted by the social justice issues they’re concerned with, who are doing some excellent work in the Hamilton community. It should be noted this is not an exhaustive list of all the wonderful groups and organizations in Hamilton; there are many more groups that can be found both on campus and off.
If you identify as 2SLGBTQIA+, are passionate about 2SLGBTQIA+ rights and peer support:
If you’re passionate about anti-racist and anti-oppressive work, check out:
If you’re passionate about climate and environmental justice, check out:
If you’re passionate about food security and nutrition, check out:
If you’re passionate about healthcare and public health, check out:
If you’re passionate about housing and supporting unhoused individuals, check out
The plight of the Uyghurs must be recognized as genocide by the international community and students have a responsibility to advocate for their human rights
cw: genocide
What is happening to the Uyghurs? Depending on who you ask, you will receive helpfully pedantic descriptions such as: “education,” “vocational training,” “repression,” “violent suppression,” “cultural genocide,” “postmodern genocide” and “demographic genocide.” The first two, offered as explanations by the Chinese state are fictitious to the point of absurdity. Similarly, the finger-wagging condemnations of “repression” and even “violent suppression,” while ostensibly denouncing the treatment of Uyghurs evade more significant criticisms.
Rather incomprehensibly, most accusations of genocide invariably insert a qualifier — “demographic,” “cultural” and “postmodern” — perhaps to make the charges more palatable, less alarming and less meaningful. The fundamental question remains: is this a genocide, in the true sense of the word?
Unfortunately, previous experiences with the matter furnish us with the answer. The United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which was signed by China in 1948, lists the actions that qualify as genocidal when they are inflicted with the intent to destroy, entirely or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. One such condition is the infliction of severe physical or mental harm on members of the group.
Since 2014, the Chinese government has routinely and arbitrarily imprisoned Uyghurs in “re-education camps” — essentially concentration camps where detainees are tortured, starved and beaten, subjected to waterboarding and electric shocks and psychologically tortured. Testimony from escaped detainees and their families can hardly fail to convince even the most dispassionate judge that such actions constitute serious physical and mental harm. This is genocide.
Under said UN convention, that should be enough to constitute genocide. However, we are fortunate enough to be supplied with enough evidence so as to be excessive in our exposition. Another condition for genocide is the undertaking of activities to prevent births within the group.
An investigation by the Associated Press revealed that Uyghur women were: forcibly implanted with an intrauterine device; underwent unwanted sterilization, abortions and pregnancy checks; were force-fed birth control pills and injected with unknown fluids; had their children removed and placed in orphanages; and were sent to camps for giving birth to multiple children.
Between 2015 and 2018, the birth rate in some ethnically Uyghur areas had plummeted more than 60 per cent. To all appearances, these actions can only be aimed at dramatically decreasing the Uyghur birth rate and ultimately reducing the size of the group until it is easily assimilable. This is genocide.
This is not to say that the charges of, say, cultural genocide are any less morally repugnant; they are simply not enough. An article first published in the Financial Times argues that our society has “fetishized” genocide as the ultimate, virtually uncommittable horror — historical memory has set the bar too high. Such a view of genocide makes possible only retrospective acknowledgment, thereby obstructing efforts at prevention.
Shall we then settle for milder, qualified accusations and hope for an equally mild response? Certainly not. What is needed now is the civic and political courage to stand behind that coda to one of humanity’s greatest failings, “Never Again,” and ensure that the genocide of the Uyghurs is recognized, terminated and prosecuted.
University students have a long and venerable tradition as progressive champions of human rights. From the Free Speech Movement at the University of California, Berkeley campus to climate change advocacy, university students have a unique cohesion and shared experience that makes organization and protest against injustices a successful weapon of change.
As the Canadian government moves towards recognizing the Chinese government’s policy as genocide, the McMaster University student body, along with other groups in Canada, have the responsibility to advocate for oppressed peoples around the globe. Letter writing campaigns, opinion pieces, protests, raising social awareness — these are all actions we can and must undertake to stop the Uyghur genocide and ensure that the “Never Again” does not happen again.
