Thousands of Montreal students plan to strike in solidarity with Palestinians, Concordia cancels downtown classes Tuesday

Thousands of students in Montreal signed a petition to take to the streets on Monday and Tuesday, striking in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza as part of second anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel.

On Tuesday, Concordia University cancelled its downtown classes at the Sir George Williams Campus, including labs due to the planned demonstrations.

“Due to potentially obstructive protests, all in-person classes and activities on the Sir George Williams Campus, including labs, are cancelled,” the university said in a notice on their website. “Unless already scheduled, faculty may choose to switch to remote delivery, if feasible. ”

“There are no changes to the activities planned at the Loyola Campus,” they added.

“We took this exceptional measure to protect our entire community,” said Concordia University president Graham Carr, in a letter written to students on Tuesday, adding that they never been forced to enact such preventive measures.

Carr further explained that on Monday, “two individuals were arrested following the disruption of a class and midterm exam. One of those arrested was later discovered to be in possession of a metal bar and several incendiary devices. Neither of these individuals are members of the Concordia community.”

“With hundreds of protesters from other universities and cégeps expected — as well as counter protesters not linked to the university planning to gather outside our downtown campus this afternoon — the threat of extreme disruption is simply too high to operate as usual. It is with profound sadness that this decision was made.”

At least 59 CEGEP and university student associations representing over 46,000 students adopted strike mandates according to the Association des étudiantes et étudiants de la Faculté des sciences de l’éducation de l’UQAM (ADEESE). 

“Other student associations are expected to vote by Oct. 7, bringing the number of students potentially on strike to more than 81,000,” the ADEESE said in a press release.

They added that the student movement is in response to a call by the Disinvest in Palestine (D4P) collective and the Convergence of Anti-Capitalist Struggles (CLAC).

“The number and diversity of students participating in the strike movement shows the clear and determined support of the youth for the rights of the Palestinian people and their liberation. We can no longer stand without taking action” said Fanny Harnois, a secondary education student with the ADEESE.

“We will be out in force on our campuses and in the streets on Oct. 6 and 7 to make our collective refusal to be complicit in genocide visible and to remind people of the legitimacy of resistance, in all its forms, in Palestine and here,” she added.

Walkouts potentially expected at:

• Dawson College
• Maisonneuve College
• CEGEP Marie Victorin
• CEGEP Saint Laurent
• Concordia University
• McGill University
• Université de Laval
• Université de Montréal
• Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

A number of events are also planned between today and Oct. 12, including a rally at Square-Victoria on Tuesday afternoon.

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Two years of war

Hamas militants and affiliates attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 civilians and soldiers and taking 251 people hostage. Israel responded by bombarding the Gaza Strip, killing more than 67,000 civilians and militants, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry.

The ministry does not differentiate how many of those killed were civilians or combatants, but says women and children make up about half the dead.

Israel insists it is neutralizing threats that have been supported by Iran’s government, and is seeking the destruction of Hamas so it can no longer threaten Israel. Israel also argues the United Nations hasn’t done enough to tackle these threats.

Israel says Hamas still holds 48 hostages and believes roughly 20 of them are alive.

–With files from The Canadian Press