YouTube video inspires Mac students

A YouTube video released during the Gaza conflict asked how people would react to children being labelled as terrorists.

That video has inspired a Palestinian group at McMaster to try that tactic out on campus.

There were a lot of clubs on display Thursday at the McMaster Student Centre — health, cultural, local businesses. But one got more attention than the others. One that asked if people would ‘hug a terrorist’.

“We got two terrorists sitting right here in McMaster Student Centre so you can give them a hug, you heard me right!”

Not terrorists, but kids who volunteered to help demonstrate how thousands of children have been affected by the Gaza conflict this past summer.

Yara Shoufani, Palestinian Human Rights group: “We just felt that we need to bring awareness to the child aspect of it. Because a lot of the times people are talking about the politics and you sort of lose focus of the people that are actually living in Gaza that are heavily impacted from what’s going on.”

The group also cited how one Israeli official justified the loss of life by labelling all Palestinians, even children, as terrorists.

“These Palestinian boys shouldn’t be recognized as terrorists and it’s really unfortunate.”

“All of this is part of this big scheme of propaganda that somehow delegitimize the true attacks that are happening on Palestinians.”

Israel blames Hamas for placing its weapons in neighbourhoods next to homes and schools.

According to UNICEF, over 510 children were killed during the conflict. This demonstration was a copy-cat of a YouTube video that delivered the same message throughout the streets of Toronto.

The YouTube video this event was inspired by has garnered over 330-thousand views. Thursday’s event didn’t attract that much attention, but it certainly got people talking.”

Jacob Klugberg, 4th year student: “I do feel it’s wrong to use the children, the whole thing about using the children. By turning it into a publicity stunt, you’re really undermining and making light of all those impacted by the terrible acts of violence.”

Alon Genkin, student Reservist: “It’s two days after Remembrance Day. This is the hometown of Nathan Cirillo, he was a colleague and a brother. In the past two weeks two Canadian soldiers have been slain by terrorists acts on Canadian soil. I just wish people paid more attention to the gravity of what terrorism is.”

Although no actual hugs were exchanged, ideas and opinions were.

“This is a discussion format. People with different views, different understandings are able to come out today to listen to each other and talk to each other.”

The President of the Palestinian human rights group said that they were initially planning on holding this event two weeks ago, about the same time Officer Vincent and Corporal Cirillo were killed, rescheduled it for Tuesday, which of course was Remembrance Day and then moved it today to avoid any conflict. They were encountered by some pressure but nonetheless, got people on campus talking.