
Canadian universities have seen a surge of pro-Palestinian protests this spring, following similar demonstrations across North America. Students have built encampments on campuses to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which has worsened since an Israeli military offensive in the wake of a Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7. The demonstrators are calling on their universities to divest from companies with ties to Israel.
The protests have been met with varying responses from university administrators who are attempting to strike a balance between freedom of expression and ensuring the safety of their campus communities. At the same time, many Jewish students and faculty have expressed that they feel intimidated on campus.
Scroll through the timelines below for up-to-date information on the protests and how universities have responded at several campuses across the country.
Share
More from Features
-
Faculty challenge of Quebec labour bill a rare constitutional move
McGill professors say academic freedom is at stake.
-
Archiving Canada’s universities
How university archivists prepare the past for future researchers.
-
Former Facebook VP champions Canadian digital sovereignty
CIFAR AI Chair Joelle Pineau believes ethics and the common good must guide technological development.
-
Inside the life of an international student
Every day brings new adventures, challenges and opportunities for a student coming from abroad.
More from Israel-Hamas conflict
-
Gazan students stuck in limbo
Despite acceptance by Canadian universities, Palestinians face roadblocks in coming to this country
-
Taking stock: Multiple perspectives on pro-Palestinian protests
Activists and administrations from Halifax to Nanaimo review policies after this spring’s pro-Palestinian encampments.
-
Antisemitism in Canada since the 7 October 2023 pogrom
Surveying attitudes before and after, amidst sharp rise in hate crimes
-
How antisemitism has roiled university campuses
Months of pro-Palestinian demonstrations left lingering mental and emotional scars for Jewish students and faculty members who say their safety and inclusion is still being threatened.
More from Feature articles
-
Why counting matters
‘Measuring gender equity is important in order to know whether you have made any progress. Otherwise, some people may feel progress has been made while others don’t experience it,’ asserts gender equity expert.
-
The long road to equity
Despite increased institutional commitment, experiences of men and women faculty differ starkly.
-
Activists-in-residence enrich and test universities
New programs are emerging on campuses across the country, but finding funding for these positions is a challenge.
-
Jean-Pierre Bergevin celebrates 50 years at Université de Hearst
The passionate psychologist and teacher is a prominent figure in Hearst’s university community.
Post a comment
University Affairs moderates all comments according to the following guidelines. If approved, comments generally appear within one business day. We may republish particularly insightful remarks in our print edition or elsewhere.
1 Comments
Thanks for sharing this snapshot of the pro-Palestinian protest across some university campuses. The videos are quite insightful. it would be interesting to see if there have been any notable protests on these same campuses (or others) in support of Israel. I question the “almost” deafening silence regarding the attack on Israel. I abhor the violence that has led to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza at this time and I believe that there should be as great an outcry about what precipitated this situation, as well as what continues to happen to the people across both territories. I also contend that “freedom” for one group cannot be at the expense of all other groups.