The UPEI Student Union is advising students about posters that “utilize racist tones” spotted near campus last week.
“It’s a fairly harmful rhetoric to be placing around campus,” said Taya Nabuurs, the student union’s interim president.
“We have a really diverse campus and we want to ensure that everyone here feels welcome and is welcome.”
The student union posted a statement on its website and social media sites this past Friday informing students about the posters as well as information on campus services that will help and support anyone affected by the messages.
“The UPEI Student Union vehemently opposes these statements and rejects any insinuations of racism,” according to the advisory.
The advisory statement also cites some of the poster’s content, that apparently said “stop the ethnocide of ‘old stock’ Canadians” and “you’re being replaced.” As well, the student union says the posters show “a graphic which demonstrates the supposed change in ethnic landscape in the future.”
Nabuurs said none of the posters were found directly on campus, but some were spotted nearby on the light posts at the University Avenue and Brown Court intersection. Students regularly pass through that intersection on their way to campus or wait there for public transit. Nabuurs said she heard the posters were spotted in other parts of the city.
Nabuurs said the student union did some research into the posters and believes they were authored by a group called ID Canada. According to the group’s website, it is an “Ethno-Nationalist and Identitarian youth movement” with a mission of “Homeland, Freedom, Tradition.” The group claims to have nine official and affiliated chapters in places like Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Alberta and P.E.I.
Anyone who spots a poster is asked to take a photo of it, mark its location and notify the student union, but for safety reasons to not take the poster down.
