Despite cancellation efforts, film collective Regards palestiniens organized an outdoor screening in the presence of intense police and campus security surveillance.
Film collective Regards palestiniens organized a screening on Friday, Oct. 11, at Concordia University. After being told they could not hold the event indoors as planned, the collective projected the film on the university walls, drawing in a larger crowd and attention from police and campus security.
The film Resistance, Why?, produced in 1971 by Christian Ghazi, showed the beginnings of Palestine’s liberation movement. The screening on Oct. 11 was a fundraiser for the municipality of Gaza and a mutual aid initiative in Beirut.
“I think it’s really important to disseminate knowledge through cultural objects such as film,” said Concordia women’s studies major Belen Blizzard at the screening.
The screening did not go as planned. On the morning of the event, the university cancelled it, citing incomplete information on the booking form regarding ticket sales for the fundraiser. So, the collective agreed to forgo the fundraiser.
“When we said we won’t fundraise, we were still censored,” said a member who choosing to remain anonymous due to fear of repercussions from the university.
Concordia spokesperson Vannina Maestracci said the event was postponed due to missing ticket sales details, requiring more time to ensure policy compliance.
“There was no censorship: we requested a postponement of the event while we assessed it,” Maestracci stated.
The collective interpreted the cancellation as a security measure rather than a genuine concern about fundraising.
“In our mind, the censorship is part of Concordia’s escalation of security measures against Palestine organizing,” said the anonymous member.
The collective quickly shared a message on social media: “Whether we’re inside the theatre or forced out into the street, this screening will happen.”
“The fact that it’s cancelled makes me even more eager to come,” said McGill student Georgia Barrington.
Instead of hosting it within the university’s walls, the collective projected the film onto Concordia’s Hall Building facade at the corner of Mackay St. and De Maisonneuve Blvd. Attendees, professors and volunteers handed out flyers and passed around baklavas, while attendees enjoyed the last moments of nice weather.
Regards palestiniens collected over $650 for their fundraiser, according to their Facebook post.
The relocation allowed the film to reach an unexpected audience, drawing the attention of anyone walking down the busy downtown sidewalk. Passersby joined close to 75 attendees wrapped in keffiyehs, sitting on the street and watching the film.
As the film played, around 10 police officers and Campus Safety and Prevention Services (CSPS) guards stood at each corner of the intersection.
“Both members of Regards Palestiniens and the community expressed feeling unsafe due to the overt police presence,” the collective wrote in an open letter published Sunday Oct. 20.
The heart of the film featured figures from the Palestinian liberation movement. The Regards palestinien anonymous member said the film’s message spoke to all.
“Speaking in English to their allies worldwide, [the film] unpacks the political frameworks of liberation,” they explained.
Students had gathered at the exact location the previous Monday, Oct. 7, to protest one year of Israel’s military operations in Palestine.
“This spot has a lot of history in regards to the university being a repressive institution and people having to respond and express their refusal,” Blizzard said, referring to the 1969 Sir George Williams University student computer riots, noting that the Hall Building is a landmark for student resistance. “I think it’s important to show not only support for Regards palestiniens, but also to show the university that people will not comply,” they said.
