With the continuously growing death toll in Gaza, McGill University’s student body has become increasingly vocal about their disapproval of the university’s inaction regarding this matter. Many student-led groups have expressed disappointment and anger with McGill’s financial investments tied to Israel. A referendum organized by SSMU (the Student’s Society of McGill University) in November 2023 showed that 78.7% of McGill students were in favour of a policy against genocide in Palestine. However, despite this overwhelming majority of the McGill population voting in favour of McGill divesting from Israeli efforts, the institution has failed to listen to its students. Their disregard has caused McGill students to begin protesting across campus in attempts to make their voices heard. As part of these protests, a group of students blocked all entrances to the Bronfman Building on February 22nd. This blockade was instigated in protest against the associations that the Desautels Department of Business has with Israel.
Among the various pro-Palestinian groups on campus, a particular group of students is taking their protest a step further. The group “McGill Hunger Strike for Palestine” has taken to protesting through a hunger strike to push McGill to Divest. Demanding the immediate divestment and boycott of companies funding Israeli genocide and apartheid, as stated by the demands of the Policy Against Genocide (voted on by the students), the group “will continue to strike and refuse to eat until [their] demands are met.”
In an investigation conducted by SPHR McGill (Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights), a pro-Palestinian group on campus, it was uncovered that McGill University invests approximately 20 million dollars into Israeli industries. Of the Companies that McGill University invests in, Safran (military technology), Airbus Aerospace (military technology), Thales SA (weapons manufacturer) and Lockheed Martin (weapons manufacturer) are key in furthering violence upon the Palestinian community. This discovery has incited anger within the university population as the associations these companies have with the Israeli military have directly associated McGill University students with the violence in Palestine. As such, groups like SPHR McGill and SJP McGill (Students for Justice in Palestine) expressed their horror at the knowledge that their tuition money is being used to fund such causes.
The McGill Hunger Strike for Palestine is a small group of determined, independent students with support from specific faculty members and staff. It is composed of two students on an indefinite hunger strike. Alongside them, approximately ten other students strike on a rotating basis. They are further supported by McGill University nursing students and a pro-Palestinian team of doctors. This care team regulates and monitors their health to ensure the student’s well-being. For safety reasons, the students involved in the strike refuse to use their full names.
The students on strike have taken to their Instagram pages to update the public, both on the strike and on their health. Alongside these updates, the students also post their reasons for going on strike and why they felt such drastic measures against the university were necessary. Indefinite striker Rania says that “[she is] personally doing this because [she’s] sick and tired of [her] tuition money being used to kill and hurt other human beings.” Rotating striker Bee says that “[they are] ashamed to be a student at McGill” and that “[they are] disgusted with the hypocrisy of the administration, claiming in emails that the university must remain impartial when they actively invest in arms companies that furnish Israel’s army.” Indefinite striker Shadi said in a video update that “[he is] tired of watching my country [Lebanon] get bombed as well” and that “[he] did not realize [he] would be paying to destroy everything that [he] love[s] and care[s] about.”
The group has been found on the McGill University campus, performing sit-ins, generally in front of the administration building, the Y intersection and the Redpath library. The strikers and their team present themselves to the public to raise awareness for their cause. They post announcements regarding when and where the sit-ins are being held on their Instagram account.
The group emailed McGill University administration at the commencing of their strike, informing them of their intention to refuse food until the university divests. They state that “neutrality has no place in the face of genocide” and that “the McGill administration is complicit in such an immense global trauma that will reverberate over generations of humanity.” The group asserts they will strike “indefinitely, risking their health and safety” until McGill answers their demands. The university responded the same day, inviting the group to meet with them and “discuss [their] concerns.” The administration originally proposed an online meeting, which the strikers refused, stating they would prefer an in-person meeting. A meeting was initially proposed for March 1st, 2024, intended to last 30 minutes. After noting that a 30-minute meeting would be insufficient due to the nature and severity of the situation, the hunger strikers refused. The administration then offered a longer meeting on March 11th, 2024, which the hunger strikers initially approved. However, with less than 48 hours notice, the administration proposed to meet with only 8 of the student strikers. After this meeting was rejected on these grounds, the administration retracted all meeting offers with the hunger strikers. They said they would not “sever relations with academic or research institutes in Israel.” They informed the students that “a process for expressing concerns exists at McGill” regarding their demands for divestment. The complete correspondence was uploaded to the Hunger Striker’s Instagram. As of March 27, 2024, no meeting has been held. Despite the lack of action by McGill University administration, the hunger strikers fail to be discouraged and are committed to continuing their strike until McGill heeds their demands.
Edited by Madeline Chisholm
