ACTIONS
17.03.09: Rancourt participates in final confidential meeting with University of Ottawa high administration
Watch more: Q&A * U of O community members speak out
02.02.09: Rancourt attends Senate meeting at Tabaret Hall; administration backs down again; students occupy legal office
On 2 February 2009, Professor Denis Rancourt again defied the campus ban to attend a scheduled senate meeting. Earlier, Nathalie Des Rosiers, the University Secretary, had advised Rancourt to send his questions to the senate by e-mail. Rancourt refused to do so, disputing the validity of the campus ban. Rancourt and student Marc Kelly, who was arrested last December for filming a senate meeting, were accompanied by several dozen students and community members into the senate meeting room at 3pm. University administrators once again rejected the students' right to film senate meetings and walked out of the room, thereby cancelling the meeting. Students then proceeded to the offices of the university's legal counsel, Alain Roussy, at Tabaret Hall to demand that the conditions placed on Kelly's movement on campus be rescinded. They remained there until Ottawa police arrived on the scene at 7pm and negotiated their departure. Separately, on 1 February, the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) adopted a resolution guaranteeing that all council meetings are open for filming by the public.
- Photo gallery of the events.
- Video of students in Senate meeting room.
- Video of students in legal counsel's office (Alain Roussy).
30.01.09: Rancourt defies campus ban to host Cinema Politica; administration backs down
- On 30 January, Professor Rancourt defied the campus ban and entered MacDonald hall auditorium to host Cinema Politica. After having him arrested the previous week (along with student Marc Kelly), the university backed down when Rancourt invited students, community members and professors to escort him onto campus. At 7pm, a crowd of 50 Cinema Politica participants walked from MacDonald Hall to the edge of campus to meet with Professor Rancourt and Marc Kelly, and then escorted the two into the auditorium, where they continued the presentation they were giving last week when both were interrupted and arrested by police.
- Photo gallery of the evening.
- Photo blog of the evening at YayaCanada.
- Video excerpt of the discussion from an OCA participant (@ 1min).
23.01.09: Rancourt arrested for trying to host Cinema Politica event on campus
- Watch the arrest of student Marc Kelly and Professor Denis Rancourt.
- Read the press release.
- "Student and professor arrested,"ATV.ca, 24 January 2009. Click to watch video report.
