Most of us will remember this summer as a turbulent period for McGill. We witnessed an incredible mobilization of students and community members against genocide, followed by brutal repression from the McGill administration. How can we try to summarize the whirlwind of events and emotions that took over university campuses around the world?
In a “back to school” email from Thursday, August 22, McGill Provosts Christopher Manfredi and Angela Campbell write:
“In this moment of social polarization, many intense forces stand to divide or alienate us from one another. Nonetheless, we are committed to working tirelessly to sustain collegiality, respect, and engagement even across stark differences and disagreement.
We invite you to join us in this work, as this critical juncture necessitates our collective commitment and engagement.
What does this mean, concretely?”
As we begin a new school year, this question is at the centre of our concerns.
The summer of 2024 will forever be remembered for the Palestine Solidarity Encampment on the McGill lower field, built by students coming together from different universities in Montreal. This was part of a global movement calling for universities to divest from companies that support Israeli apartheid and the ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The demands set by students were clear: Disclose, Divest, Defend, and Declare. The administration chose to respond by trivializing the movement, with students claiming that the university did not negotiate in good faith. The encampment was forcibly dismantled on the night of July 10.
Universities all over the world faced demands from students to divest from Israel and show solidarity with Palestinians. Rather than listening to students, academic institutions chose to bring in riot police to suppress peaceful protests. Even now, mainstream media sources persist in downplaying the significance of student demonstrations, dismissing their calls to end Israel’s genocide as juvenile and naive. Nonetheless, this summer was a powerful demonstration of student activism. As the world seems to be crumbling underneath our feet, the power to create a better world often feels out of reach. However, the attention and backlash garnered by student movements is proof of the influence that we can have.
Student protests have time and again proven to be effective, whether in rising against racial or gender injustice, inequality, and authoritarianism. We have frequently taken the lead in movements that have been crucial in bringing about necessary social change. Some examples include the 1968 protests against the war in Vietnam, the Womens’ Rights movement, and protests against South African apartheid where McGill became the first Canadian university to divest from its holdings in the regime. Last December, the Board of Governors unanimously voted to divest from direct investments in fossil fuel companies, marking the culmination of over 12 years of student organizing.
Let us continue to be inspired by this legacy and foster an environment where each and every one of us feels safe within a community where we can make change happen. This upcoming semester is an opportunity for the McGill administration to begin rebuilding trust with the student body. It is about time the McGill administration lived up to its supposed values of “integrity, equity and inclusiveness” and started truly listening to the demands of its students.