Student protest against Langara Students’ Union election runs into hurdles
Students deemed ineligible ran a petition to shut down LSU elections and held a protest
By SOFIA MOHAMED
Langara students protesting what they say are irregularities in the student union election were blocked after they tried to gain entry to the Langara Students’ Union offices on Tuesday.
Langara student Dilpreet Mann, who was denied a nomination to run for president by the LSU’s elections committee, had gathered a 250-name petition calling for the LSU elections to be cancelled.
Mann and a dozen other students attempted to deliver the petition to the LSU office on the first day of voting Tuesday morning but were denied entry by LSU staff who closed the door on them.
“Yeah, they just don’t listen to us. Just close the door right in front of our faces,” said Langara student Harjap Singh Khair.
Protest continues in the LSU lower lounge
The protesters decided to host a quiet protest within the Student Union Building for the remainder of the morning.
When one of the protesters attempted to speak to employees at the LSU election voting desk, the employee refused to have a conversation with them.
Lei Kazemi, who was voting nearby when the exchange occurred, said that the employees told the protester to “go away” and that he was “stupid.”
The college had not commented on the protest or the petition by publication time.
Consequences of the protest
The day after the protest, the seats were removed from the front of the polling booth and the entire area was taped off. Additionally, outside security was hired by the LSU in light of the peaceful protest.
A Voice editor attempted to take pictures of the area behind the tape, but was stopped by the staff sitting at the LSU polling booth. A security guard, brought in by the LSU and unaffiliated with campus security, told the editor to hand over his phone and delete the pictures. He was told to follow the security down to the LSU lounge, which he refused to do. He then called his instructor.
After a brief conversation, the editor and instructor departed from the building.
BEFORE AFTER
