Pro-Palestinian Students Walk Out In Support of Palestine

On Feb. 2, students from McGill University, Concordia University and Université de Quebec a Montreal (UQAM) held a walk-out and marched for Palestine, through downtown Montreal.

The walk-out and march were organized by Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights Concordia, in collaboration with Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights McGill and Solidarity Palestinian Human Rights UQAM.

Hundreds of students, professors and other Montrealers participated in the march. The demonstration, which started at 12.50 pm, progressed from Sherbrooke Street to McGill University and ended at UQAM.

Speakers and supporters called out Canada for being complicit in Israel's bombardment on Gaza, and more specifically the three universities. They advocated for student divestment from Israeli institutions.

"Our message to [...] the board of governors who continue to invest 20 million dollars in genocide: if you want to be complicit in genocide and occupation, know that we, the students of McGill refuse to be. Our adamance for liberation and our unity as a student front is powerful enough to topple the racist system you think you can shackle us in," one anonymous speaker exclaimed while addressing the crowd. They went on to give praise to the students for organizing themselves across universities. They emphasized that Montrealers would not remain silent in the face of the humanitarian crisis currently happening in Palestine.

Participants also focused on Canada's complicity in the killing of Palestinians, asking that Canada stop funding Israel, and demand for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.

Throughout the march, protesters could be heard chanting "Solidarity with Palestine," and "There is only one solution: Intifada, revolution!"