McGill University is experiencing a new wave of pro-Palestinian student activism this week, with more than a dozen departmental student associations coordinating strikes across the Montreal campus. Despite the organized action, university officials report that the disruption to academic activities has been limited so far.
Strike Details and Student Demands
The coordinated strikes, approved through individual general assemblies for each participating association, are primarily taking place from November 17 to 21. Student organizers have encouraged "soft pickets" outside classrooms, where protesters stand near entrances to discourage attendance without physically blocking access.
Striking students are calling on McGill to meet several key demands, including full disclosure of the university's financial holdings and divestment from companies they allege are complicit in Israeli military operations. Additionally, they demand the university immediately end any research or financial relationships with institutions involved in weapons or military technology sales.
The strike follows a pattern of pro-Palestinian demonstrations that have occurred at McGill over the past two years, which have sometimes included external participants and resulted in acts of vandalism and reported antisemitism. Previous protests have included students breaking into and briefly occupying the main administration office and maintaining an encampment on the lower field for months.
University Response and Campus Atmosphere
McGill University has maintained that only a small number of classes have been affected by the strike action. In an official statement, the university confirmed that only a handful of classes were disrupted by protesters over the past two days, with just "a couple" of professors choosing to cancel their classes.
"Most classes, labs and exams had gone ahead without issue over the past two days," the university stated. The institution has warned that students who violate campus rules face potential sanctions, including temporary exclusion from university grounds for those who refuse security orders to cease classroom obstruction.
On Wednesday afternoon, the campus atmosphere appeared calm with students moving between buildings as normal. Security personnel were visible throughout the campus, positioned outside classrooms and monitoring the situation.
Varied Approaches Among Student Groups
Different student associations have taken distinct approaches to the strike action. The McGill Sociology Students' Association announced on Instagram that classes would be picketed if professors didn't cancel them. Meanwhile, the physics association encouraged students not to attend classes but specifically urged members not to "physically disrupt" teaching or harass classmates.
The Students' Society of McGill University, which did not organize this particular strike despite coordinating previous actions, reminded students on Instagram that while peaceful protest is permitted, they "do not have the right to threaten, knowingly block, or stop university activities."
Earlier in the week, social media circulated a video showing masked protesters entering a classroom and interrupting instruction, with the post captioned "This is not a learning environment." Many protesters wore keffiyehs and held signs denouncing what they describe as Israel's genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.
Not all student associations participated in the strike action. Some failed to meet quorum requirements for voting, while others simply did not adopt strike motions during their assemblies.
