University of Toronto Students’ Union president Sandy Hudson has appealed to GTA student unions for donations to an UTSU-created legal fund for Angela Regnier, its executive director.
Regnier was arrested during the May 10 Tamil protest that occupied the Gardiner Expressway for six hours. The protest made international headlines for both police brutality and the presence of women and children on the frontline of the blockade.
According to Hudson, Regnier was peacefully demonstrating, as was York University student Terrence Luscombe. Hudson alleges that the two non-Tamil individuals, who arrived long after the expressway was blocked and police had arrived, were targeted by the police.
Regnier was “faceplanted into the highway” before she and Luscombe were arrested on charges of mischief interference with property.
“These were clearly random arrests,” Hudson said in an email to The Varsity, adding that the two were not organizers. “It is important to stand up for these matters because it is clear by this example that anyone can be randomly targeted and arrested at any demonstration.”
Regnier appeared in court at Old City Hall on June 11 and 25. According to Hudson, Regnier is still awaiting for the crown to disclose evidence against her.
“While this matter is still in the courts, I have been advised by legal counsel against making any comment to the media,” said Regnier in an email. “It could potentially prejudice or compromise my case. Therefore, I will not be available for comment until there has been resolution to this matter.”
Hudson said the legal defence fund was established as part of a previous UTSU board decision to support the Tamil community throughout the crisis. As of print time, it is unclear whether or not Regnier was representing UTSU at the protest.
Hudson said a similar fund for both activists has been established at the Ontario Public Interest Research Group at York University. The group could not be reached for comment.
Asked how much money the legal fund has accrued, Hudson said she was “not currently able to disclose an accurate account of that information.” She added that donors did not consent to having their names published. Hudson also did not name the organizations that were contacted.
The Varsity sent emails to every GTA post-secondary institution. On June 17, UTM Student Union made a donation of $1,000 to Regnier after a heated debate. According to U of T Graduate Students’ Union external commissioner Sara Suliman, GSU has made $500 available to Regnier and will donate based on her legal costs. Ryerson Students’ Union gave $100 and the Continuing Education Students’ Association of Ryerson gave $500. U of T’s Association of Part-Time Undergraduate Students and Scarborough Campus Students’ Union have received the appeal and have not yet made decisions.
Many college student unions said they did not receive the appeal. Ercole Perrone, executive director of the Humber Students’ Federation, said his federation “doesn’t believe it is appropriate to get involved in the legal matters of another student organization.”
Regnier is not a student. She is a full-time UTSU employee who was hired shortly after ending her term as national deputy chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students. The Medium, a UTM student paper, says her legal costs could amount to over $10,000 if the case goes to trial.
Regnier declined to disclose her salary. All full-time undergraduates at St. George and UTM pay UTSU $16.02 per session.
A Facebook group called “Tamil Solidarity Legal Defence Campaign” has been established by the Toronto Coalition to Stop the War and has over 500 members. The group hosted a June 20 fundraiser, inviting active members of union movements and CFS organizations.
A Maclean’s blog asked readers to debate the legitimacy of contributing to the legal fund. Some say the case is a matter of free speech while others denounce it as union leaders using student money to help their friends.
Hudson said it is common for labour and union movements to establish and support legal defence funds. For example, the University of Guelph Central Students’ Association has a legal defence fund for activists pursuing the indigenous land rights issue in Caledonia. UTSU has contributed to the fund set up by OPIRG Toronto for the Fight Fees 14, who staged a sit-in at Simcoe Hall last year.
