Yves Engler

Last updated

Yves Engler
Yves Engler.jpg
Engler in 2005
Born1979 (age 45–46)
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
OccupationWriter
LanguageEnglish
GenreNonfiction
Subject
  • Politics
  • activism
Website
yvesengler.com

Yves Engler (born 1979) [1] is a Canadian writer, political activist, and critic of Canadian foreign policy based in Montreal. In addition to twelve published books, Engler's writings have appeared in alternative press and in publications such as Ecologist . [2]

Contents

Endorsed by the NDP Socialist Caucus, Engler announced his candidacy in the 2026 New Democratic Party leadership election in July 2025. He was deemed ineligible to run by the party in December.

Life and career

Engler moved to Montreal to study at Concordia University in the early 2000s, where he was elected vice president of communications with the Concordia Student Union. [3] He was suspended from the university due to his involvement in the Concordia University Netanyahu riot, which erupted in response to a visit to the campus by then-former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. [4] [5]

A self-described "political activist agitator", Engler is known for his tactic of filming his street confrontations with cabinet ministers and other politicians on issues such as Israel–Palestine relations, Canada's involvement in Haiti, and Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. [6]

NDP leadership campaign

In July 2025, Engler announced his intention to run as a candidate in the 2026 New Democratic Party leadership election as the nominee of the NDP Socialist Caucus. [7] [8] He officially submitted his application in November. [9] In December, he was deemed ineligible by both the NDP's leadership vote committee and an independent review committee, which alleged he had "harassed, intimidated, and confronted" elected officials and repeated disinformation about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, favouring Russia. [10]

Views

Haiti

Engler presenting Pierre Pettigrew with a copy of the "Griffin Report on Human Rights Abuses in Haiti" Yves Engler presenting Griffin report to Pierre Pettigrew.jpg
Engler presenting Pierre Pettigrew with a copy of the "Griffin Report on Human Rights Abuses in Haiti"

Engler was critical of Canada's role in the 2004 Haitian coup d'état. In June 2005, he interrupted a press conference being held by then-Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pierre Pettigrew. Engler poured a bottle of cranberry juice onto Pettigrew and said, "Pettigrew lies, Haitians die". [11] The juice was meant to represent the blood Engler said was on the hands of the Canadian government due to its alleged involvement in the 2004 coup and subsequent United Nations peacekeeping mission. [12]

Israel

A vocal critic of Israel, in 2010, Engler wrote the book Canada and Israel: Building Apartheid on the history of Canada's ties with Israel. [13] He is a longtime supporter of the international campaign for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories. [14]

In 2016, Engler wrote an essay for the Huffington Post, titled "'Anti Semitism': The Most Abused Word in Canada". [15] A week later, Canadian Jewish News editor Yoni Goldstein criticized the text in an opinion piece. He concluded that Engler "has seriously misjudged the state of anti-Semitism in Canada today". [16] Engler has said that the charge of antisemitism is wrongly used to shut down criticism of Israel and that he strongly condemns real antisemitism. [17]

In 2002, a student tribunal found Engler guilty of assault and vandalism for his part in the Concordia University Netanyahu riot. He was fined $500 and expelled for one term. Engler said he did not assault anyone or commit any vandalism during the riot. [4] His attempt to appeal the suspension was rejected by the Supreme Court of Canada. [18] Engler's suspension was later made permanent when he violated a ban on political activity, imposed by the university in the aftermath of the riot, by handing out anti-FTAA pamphlets on university grounds. [5]

In 2006, Engler pleaded guilty to forgery and was fined $100. [19]

In 2022, he was charged with assault and causing a disturbance near a public place but was acquitted after agreeing to stay out of trouble for 12 months. [19]

In February 2025, Engler was accused of repeatedly communicating with two individuals, including a police officer, with intent to harass, and of obstructing a police officer in the execution of their duties. [19] On November 28, he stood trial on three charges, after a fourth was dropped. At that time, Quebec Court Judge Guylaine Rivest indicated that she would deliver a decision in January 2026. [20]

Published works

References

  1. ↑ "The Black Cook of Canadian Foreign Policy / by Yves Engler". gouv.qc.ca. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Yves Engler Search Results". theecologist.org. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Yves Engler". fernwoodpublishing.can. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Spivak, Rhonda (n.d.). "Yves Engler at U of M explains his suspension from Concordia University after Netanyahu's aborted speech in 2002". Winnipeg Jewish Review. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  5. 1 2 Bernans, David (October 9, 2008). "Concordia Activist Faces Expulsion". rabble.ca.
  6. ↑ Woolf, Marie (November 20, 2025). "Prospective NDP leadership candidate Yves Engler has history of confronting politicians in the street". Globe and Mail. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  7. ↑ Coyne, Andrew (July 11, 2025). "New leader, or new system? The Conservatives ponder life under two-party politics". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved October 14, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Edmonton MP Heather McPherson enters NDP leadership race". CBC News. September 28, 2025. Retrieved October 14, 2025.
  9. ↑ Baxter, Patrick. "Montreal activist Yves Engler officially looking to enter NDP leadership race". City News Winnipeg. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  10. ↑ "NDP rejects Yves Engler as leadership candidate". The Globe and Mail. December 9, 2025. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Canada acting badly in Haiti, protester claims". CBC News. June 18, 2005. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
  12. ↑ "Pettigrew's Painter speaks about Haitian Blood on the hands of the Canadian Government". haitiaction.net. June 17, 2005. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
  13. ↑ "Canada and Israel: Building Apartheid". fernwoodpublishing.ca. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Tadamon!: 500 Artists Against Israeli Apartheid". tadamon.ca.
  15. ↑ ""Anti Semitism": The Most Abused Word in Canada | Dissident Voice". Huffington Post. April 16, 2016. Archived from the original on April 19, 2016.
  16. ↑ Goldstein, Yoni (April 27, 2016). "Getting the facts wrong about anti-Semitism in Canada". Canadian Jewish News. Archived from the original on April 28, 2016. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
  17. ↑ "Controversies – Yves Engler". yvesengler.com. September 12, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Yves Engler v. Concordia University, et al". Supreme Court of Canada. October 11, 2005. Retrieved October 14, 2025.
  19. 1 2 3 "'Agitator' Yves Engler charged with harassment and obstruction of justice". montrealgazette.com. Retrieved October 14, 2025.
  20. ↑ "Yves Engler's trial begins on harassment charges involving a Montreal police detective". montrealgazette.com. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  21. ↑ "Canada in Haiti". Fernwood Publishing. Archived from the original on January 28, 2010. Retrieved November 19, 2009.
  22. ↑ "Playing Left Wing". Fernwood Publishing. Retrieved November 19, 2009.
  23. ↑ "The Black Book of Canadian Foreign Policy". Fernwood Publishing. Retrieved November 19, 2009.
  24. ↑ "Canada and Israel". Fernwood Publishing. Retrieved May 24, 2010.
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