Concordia Student Union council member detained in China

Chris Schwartz, 24, who is potentially a council member¹, according to information in The Montreal Gazette, is a full-time staff member of the Concordia Student Union was arrested in China today after protesting against China’s repression of Tibet in Tiananmen Square.

He should be proud of his action. It takes real courage to protest in China.

The Canadian Press quotes our Foreign Affairs Minister saying the arrests should be taken in the context of how China has progressed in dealing with protests.

Yes, this is progress - they didn’t massacre these students like they did in 1989. What an achievement. When you set the bar low, it’s not hard to jump over.

Of course, Emerson could be setting the bar low in preparation for our own games.

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We know what happened last time a major international gathering was held in Vancouver. No word if Sgt. Pepper will return in 2010.

After all, we wouldn’t want to expose the despots of the world to the concept of democracy - it’s not like we’re proud of ourselves or anything.

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¹ Update Sunday August 10: As per comments below, Schwartz’s exact status with the CSU is unclear at the present time. Update 1148EDT: The Gazette reports he’s a full-time staff member of the CSU and part-time Concordia student.