A Community Gathering in Solidarity with Bissan at Norman Bethune Square

Thursday, June 15th @ 12h
corner of Rue Guy / Boul. de Maisonneuve O
Métro Guy-Concordia
Montréal, Québec
Facebook event

*This is a family friendly community gathering, accessibility info below*

Join us on Thursday June 15 at 12PM as we demand that Justin Trudeau and the Canadian government support Bissan Eid – a Concordia student and new mother – who has been trapped in Gaza unable to return home, for over half a year. The Canadian government has failed to act in protection of Bissan and her daughter Sarah for too long. We invite you, the Montreal community, to join us in support of Bissan and Sarah’s safe return.

MORE CONTEXT :

A 24 year old Canadian citizen, new mother and member of the Concordia community, ​Bissan Eid is currently stranded in Gaza. She has been left alone to navigate a maze of bureaucracy that has proven itself to be actively and purposefully unreliable.

Since January, Bissan has been prevented from leaving the Palestinian territory of Gaza due to the Israeli authorities’ refusal to process her exit using her Canadian passport, and the unreasonably slow processing of her exit visa. This violation of Bissan’s right to freedom of movement has not only forced her to give birth in Gaza – far away from her immediate family and adequate medical facilities – but it has also obstructed her completion of a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering at Concordia.

Both Israeli and Jordanian authorities have been continuously refusing to recognize Bissan and Sarah’s Canadian citizenship status, demanding that she apply for exit documents not normally required of Canadians. This situation has put them in a bureaucratic limbo with no end in sight.

Justin Trudeau claims that “diversity is Canada’s strength”. Yet rather than intervening directly to coordinate with Israel and Jordan, Canada has redirected Bissan to apply for exit documents from the Jordanian authorities. This can only be understood as approval of discrimination against two Canadian citizens based on their place of birth.

Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government’s passive and shallow rhetoric is not enough when he has the power to ensure Bissan and Sarah’s safe return, yet refuses to use it.

We are calling a public gathering to stand with Hadi Eid, Bissan’s father, and to demand that the Canadian government take action and follow through on their responsibilities to support two Canadians trapped overseas. Specifically, we demand the government expedite the processing of Sarah’s citizenship papers and directly coordinate with Israeli and Jordanian authorities to ensure Bissan and Sarah’s immediate return home.

We call on our communities to show support and solidarity for Bissan and Sarah and all those whose lives are impacted by colonial borders and nationalism. Let’s bring Bissan and Sarah home!

Co-hosted by the Concordia Student Union and Tadamon!
If you’re part of a group, organization, or collective that would like to endorse the campaign to bring Bissan home please get in touch!

Accessibility info:

The location is outdoors at the corner of Rue Guy & Boul. de Maisonneuve O. The event will be held rain or shine. Accessible taxis can be provided with 24 hours notice. We have a limited number of STM tickets available upon request. If you have any other accessibility needs please contact us at campaigns@csu.qc.ca.