YUGSA's website says a February 2024 general membership motion renewed its support for "the International BDS Movement" and that its BDS Committee was directed to launch campaigns boycotting on-campus businesses, starting with Aroma Espresso Bar.
Last reviewed October 10, 2026
YUGSA’s “Boycotts, Divestment, Sanctions Committee” (BDSC) was created upon the mandate of YUGSA’s General Membership motion in February 2024 to renew its support for “the International BDS Movement to end Israeli settler colonial occupation, apartheid, and genocide”. Soon after, YUGSA Council gave the newly established committee a clear direction to launch campaigns boycotting businesses on campus that are listed by the BDS International including “Aroma Espresso Bar”
Within the context of York University, we believe that Aroma Espresso is a strong target for an initial boycott.
Recently, in a strong act of resistance, the Palestinian people tore down and crossed the illegitimate border fence erected by the settler-colonial apartheid state of so-called Israel. ... these events serve as a reminder that resistance against colonial violence is justified and necessary. This is "decolonization" and "land-back" actualized as we continue to see the Palestinian people stand firm in their resistance against their oppressors.
The three unions behind the statement the university condemned are "York Federation of Students, York University Graduate Student Association, and the Glendon College Student Union."