Should schools be allowed to take students on field trips to public protests?

A woman holding a megaphone at the 2024 rally for Grassy Narrows, an Indigenous community that has suffered without clean water since a chemical plant dumped 10 tons of mercury in the Wabigoon River in the 1960s and '70s, led chants for students to repeat, including, "From Turtle Island to Palestine, occupation is a crime." (Screenshot via X)

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Last week, Toronto’s public school board came under fire after footage emerged on social media showing students partaking in a public protest for Indigenous water rights… that also happened to feature pro-Palestinian chants and signs. A provincial investigation ensued to learn how it happened and why teachers allegedly encouraged students to get involved in the demonstrations, but while those slow bureaucratic gears turn, parents—especially Jewish ones—are unhappy. Bonjour Chai hosts Avi and Phoebe ask: should students ever be taken to a public protest as part of a school curriculum, even if parents agree with the cause?

After that, they dig into the Indigo boycott/buycott fiasco, sparked after Indigo mounted a legal challenge against a grassroots movement claiming they kill kids. The movement began because Indigo CEO Heather Reisman operates a separate charity that supports Israelis without families (who are in all likelihood lone soldiers), but has spiralled into Jews and allies proudly supporting Canada’s singular monolithic bookstore entity as a badge of honour. Remember when people used to proudly support their local indie bookstore?

Finally, Ta Nehisi Coates has re-entered the public discourse, years after breaking ground with his argument for reparations for Black Americans. His topic this time? Israel-Palestine, something that’s being marketed as a “taboo” subject for discussion by a public intellectual. Except… it really isn’t. Everyone’s talking about it. So what’s going on?

Listen and subscribe to Bonjour Chai above.

Credits

  • Hosts: Avi Finegold and Phoebe Maltz Bovy (@BovyMaltz)
  • Production team: Michael Fraiman (producer), Zachary Kauffman (editor)
  • Music: Socalled

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