McGill University will restrict access to its campus on October 7, fearing excesses on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Hamas attack in Israel.
Posted at 2:15 p.m.
Updated at 3:00 p.m.
Courses must be delivered online, unless they require on-site attendance, such as assessments and laboratories. In addition, only university students and employees will have access to the campus, which will be closed to the public. Finally, the university is asking those who can work remotely to stay home. The measures will be in effect from October 5 to 7.
In a media advisory, the university emphasizes that it is not aware of any threat to the physical safety of members of its community. However, she wishes to avoid excesses on her campus “during this very delicate period”.
The week of October 7 will mark the first anniversary of the Hamas attack and Israel’s response in Gaza. It already promises to be eventful: pro-Palestinian demonstrations are notably planned in front of the gates of McGill and Concordia in protest “to the genocide which left more than 40,000 martyrs in Gaza. »
“Over the past few months, the University has been the scene of numerous peaceful protests and commemorations. Unfortunately, we have also witnessed incidents that, beyond the bounds of the law and University policies, have upset some people, prevented members of our community from accessing our places of learning and work, and caused material damage,” said McGill University.
The Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel, indicated on Wednesday afternoon that he was monitoring the situation “closely” with “the intelligence services, the state security directorate”.
“We are on the lookout. We will monitor the situation to ensure that all this is done in a safe manner,” he declared to journalists, while reaffirming that “the right to demonstrate is protected in our charters”.
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