Protesters mass registered and did not attend, leaving empty chairs at Yascha Mounk talk
On November 11, the Munk School event “Things Fell Apart: How a Dominant Worldview Fell Apart, and Liberals Lost their Footing” was left with empty chairs after students mass registered for the event and did not attend in protest of guest speaker Heather Reisman. Ultimately, Reisman did not attend the event.
Reisman, CEO and founder of Indigo Books, was the subject of protest for her HESEG foundation that provides full scholarships to former Israel Defence Force (IDF) “lone soldiers” — soldiers without immediate family in Israel.
The event was held at the Campbell Conference Facility, which can host up to 110 people, but UofT Occupy for Palestine (O4P) estimated there were between 20–30 attendants. Protesters also handed out fliers outside the event describing Reisman’s connections to HESEG and Israel.
Featured speaker Yascha Mounk, author and professor at Johns Hopkins University, was originally set to sit down with Reisman and Janice Stein, Founding Director of the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy.
When asked about Reisman’s absence, a spokesperson for U of T wrote to The Varsity, “Prof. Mounk decided that instead of an interview, he wanted to talk to students about ideas he was testing for his next book. In response to his request, the Munk School changed the format to a lecture.”
“The Munk School looks forward to welcoming Heather Reisman to our stage to interview an author at another time,” the statement concluded.
When asked when it became obvious Reisman would not be attending, O4P wrote to The Varsity that it was not clear to attendees until the event was over. Although Reisman’s name was still projected on the screen behind Mounk and Stein, O4P wrote that “[Reisman’s] name was not mentioned once throughout the entirety of the event.”
O4P also wrote that event staff repeated “I don’t know” when asked about Reisman’s attendance. (more...)
Students protested Munk School guest speaker Heather Reisman, who then missed the event
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