B’nai Brith Canada on Wednesday denounced an incident in which a fence at the University of British Columbia (UBC), located in Vancouver, was defaced with the severed head of a pig.
A social-media account associated with a movement called People’s University for Gaza at UBC shared a photo of the vandalism.
“Pigs OFF campus!” the post said, invoking a trope commonly used to vilify police. “Pigs OFF every land, from Turtle Island to Palestine… UBC will not know peace until we get Palestine back, piece by piece.”
The statement ended with a declaration that protesters would “shut [UBC] down,” recalling language used last year before the installation of an anti-Israel encampment on the university’s property.
“This morbid act should outrage all Canadians,” said Richard Robertson, B’nai Brith Canada’s Director of Research and Advocacy in a statement on Wednesday. “There is no justification for this hateful display, designed to intimidate and harass the Jewish community and members of law enforcement.”
The incident in B.C. comes less than a month after B’nai Brith wrote to universities, including UBC, demanding they take proactive steps to prevent such heinous disruptions.
“B’nai Brith will continue to monitor developments at UBC and other universities,” Robertson said. “We will not stand idly by and tolerate such hateful acts. We hope that whoever is responsible for this latest incident is identified and held accountable for their abhorrent behavior. Our campuses must remain safe spaces for all students.”
Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center called on the university of leadership to act.
“An incredibly disturbing display at UBC where a ‘Pigs off campus’ sign and severed pig’s head were placed on the gate of the university president’s residence,” it wrote in a post on X.
“UBC leadership must act now to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for Jewish students, and all students, and the line must be drawn to reject such hateful and extreme acts on campus,” added Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center.
Similar to the US, universities in Canada have been hit by antisemitism since Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel and the war in Gaza which followed.
Many of these protests have been in the form of anti-Israel encampments on campuses.
In July, pro-Palestinian Arab protesters who had been occupying King's College Circle on the University of Toronto (U of T) campus for more than 60 days cleared the encampment.
They did so a day after an Ontario judge ordered the pro-Palestinian Arab encampment to vacate the area.
Later that month, the University of Windsor, in southwestern Ontario, reached an agreement with anti-Israel protesters which appeared to capitulate to the demands of the protesters.
Beyond the campuses, there have been incidents of antisemitism recorded in Montreal and Toronto among others.
In late August, bomb threats were sent to more than 100 Jewish institutions across Canada.