A group of students and community activists successfully disrupted the Edmonton Police’s plan to recruit at the University of New Brunswick’s Fredericton campus on Tuesday.
Alberta’s Edmonton Police Service Recruiting Unit had intended to set up a table at the entrance of Tilley Hall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to discuss careers in policing in Edmonton and offer students the chance to take the Alberta Police Cognitive Abilities Test.
The protest was driven by recent incidents of police violence, including the fatal shootings of Steven “Iggy” Dedam from Elsipogtog First Nation, Rodney Levi from Metepenagiag Mi’kmaq Nation, as well as a lawsuit launched by Mathios Arkangelo’s family against four police officers and Edmonton’s police chief. These are only some of the cases that highlight ongoing issues of police conduct and lack of accountability.
On Monday evening, students and community activists gathered to create posters for the protest planned for the following day. The posters displayed the names of Iggy, Rodney, Mathios, and many others who had been killed by Canadian police.
On Tuesday, protesters handed out pins saying “Not a cop,” as well as flyers listing the names of Edmonton police officers who are either under investigation or facing charges. The intent was to introduce prospective recruits to their future coworkers. The protesters also gave out Timbits to students who agreed not to sign up to join the police, as a cheeky way to deter recruitment.
In response to the protest, the Edmonton police recruiters did not appear on campus. When protesters contacted the Edmonton Police Service Recruiting Office, they were informed that the recruitment event and the entrance exam had been relocated to the Crowne Plaza in downtown Fredericton. A representative confirmed that the change in venue was due to the anticipated protest on campus.
The protesters continued their demonstration outside the Crowne Plaza until 2 p.m. but observed very little foot traffic in the area. The change of venue was not publicly advertised, and the recruitment itself took place in a room within the Crowne Plaza, as opposed to the initially planned outdoor setup. The relocation of the recruitment event to a less public venue likely limited its impact.
The protest was organized by the UNB Student Organizing Collective and the Young Communist League.
Dora Szemok is an undergraduate student at the University of New Brunswick, studying International Development Studies and Political Science. She is a research assistant for the Promise of Home project. She is also a member of the Fredericton Young Communist League.
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