Ryerson University

In 2004, two campus conservatives were elected to the Ryerson Students’ Administrative Council (RYESAC later became the Ryerson Students’ Union). President Dave MacLean and his more intelligent handler VP Finance Derek Isber were elected with one of their followers, the ditsy VP Student Life Christina Robiero and the lone progressive VP Education Rebecca Rose. The year he was elected to office in a student union, Dave Maclean was the acting Secretary-Treasurer of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Campus Association. Both he and Isber were active in the Ryerson Conservative Club – along with the club’s founder and RSU Board member Jason Jagpal – and attempted to give partisan political groups “club” status within the student union – which would mean getting funded by students to promote partisan objectives.

In 2007-2008, a Canadian Armed Forces reservist Ibrahim “Abe” Snobar was elected as the Vice-President Student Life of the Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU). A Ryerson business student of Palestianian decent, Snobar and his fellow-Executive member Heather Kere masqueraded as progressives but their term in office shows a much more contradictory politic. While Kere spearheaded a motion to endorse the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israeli Aparteid, she, Snobar and other Board members conspired to unilaterally terminate membership in the Canadian Federation of Students. They also canceled funding for the student union’s campaign against Violence Against Women and attempted to edit the union’s affirmative action hiring policy to delete “sexual orientation” as a protected ground – they argued that “sexual orientation is not a form of economic oppression.” Many progressives spoke up against their socially conservative agenda, but in retaliation, Snobar and Kere fired one of their part-time staffers (and former RSU President ) Rebecca Rose for challenging their actions.

In the elections for the 2008-2009 year, Snobar and his little brother and fellow soldier, Abdullah, ran an electoral ticket, ironically called “Ryevolution.” Their electoral team featured 5 acting Canadian Soldiers and was heavily dominated by business students from the traditionally conservative Ryerson Commerce Society. Thankfully, the Snobar and most of his Executive team were defeated, except for VP Student Life Sid Naidu. Abe graduated but continued to control the board of the RSU through his brother Abdullah, protege Osman Hamid, and several other agents. This team cut funding for the union’s anti-war campaign, cancelled the RSU’s membership in the Canadian Peace Alliance and blocked support for the “Fight Fees 14” – 14 students and workers at the University of Toronto who were arrested and charged under the institutional “code of conduct” for holding an occupation of President Naylor‘s office over residence fee increases. Some revolutionaries!

In the elections for the 2009-2010 year, Little Snobar headed the conservative slate that was dominated by more Canadian soldiers and business students but was soundly defeated. Confirming the Snobars’ connection to the Conservative Party was the surprise re-emergence of former Ryerson Conservative Club President Jason Jagpal – now a U of T Law student.