A controversial pro-Hamas campaign was held at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario aimed at raising awareness of the civilian deaths in Gaza. The event, called “Hug a Terrorist”, was created by McMaster’s Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) group and is based on a video of the same named filmed in Toronto over the summer.

Global News According to SPHR, “The word ‘terrorist ha’s been carelessly used to justify the murder of over 531 children this past summer as well as the deaths of each child in Gaza and Palestine since the year 2000.” The group also noted that other student groups had engaged in forms of “cyber-bullying” and “attempting to misinform” people about the event.

One student who took offense to the event said the ironic use of the term “terrorist” was being insensitive given the recent attacks in Ottawa and Quebec that killed Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent and Cpl. Nathan Cirillo who lived in Hamilton

Jacob Klugsberg, a fourth-year McMaster student, said he was “shocked” to learn of the on-campus event. “This shameful publicity stunt trivializes the severity of international terrorism and undermines the corresponding suffering that it causes victims and their families.”