7,523 Concordia students set to strike in solidarity with Palestine
The strikes follow unwavering pushback from students demanding divestment from the university
A total of 7,523 students at Concordia University as of time of publication have voted in favour of a two-day strike on Nov. 21 and Nov. 22, organized in response to a national call for action for Palestine.
Six student associations within the Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA)— including the Sociology and Anthropology Student Union (SASU) and Geography Undergraduate Student Society (GUSS)—as well as all students in the Fine Arts Student Alliance (FASA) will join the strike.
Concordia associations aren’t the only ones participating. Across Montreal, several CEGEPs are striking as well, most notably, Dawson College, whose 11,000 students will be striking on Nov. 21.
The academic coordinator for SASU Juliana Rodriguez, highlighted the importance of the strike.
“Students have been asking the university to divest for over a year,” Rodriguez said. “Concordia claims to educate us to transform the world, but it avoids addressing its own complicity in global issues.”
For GUSS member Cory Bentz Kuttner, the upcoming strike is an example of Concordia’s history of student activism.
“This university has a legacy of protests for social justice,” Kuttner said. “By voting to strike, we’re continuing that tradition and sending a message to the administration that these concerns won’t go away.”
GUSS’s demands for the university include disclosing and divesting from all ties with Israel, prohibiting police presence on campus, and issuing a statement condemning the current genocide and scholasticide in Palestine.
Student associations aren’t the only ones calling for a strike. Students for Palestine’s Honour and Resistance (SPHR) is also taking part and is urging students, faculty and staff to show solidarity with Palestine by refusing to attend classes and participate in university activities.
SPHR has outlined a list of demands fuelling the strike. Central among these is the demand that Concordia terminate partnerships with specific corporations—Lockheed Martin, CAE, Pratt & Whitney, Airbus and Bombardier—that engage in military production linked to Israel's operations.
An SPHR member, who was granted anonymity for safety reasons, described the strike as a way to mobilize students around long-standing issues.
“This is about making our voices heard and building pressure for change,” they said. “We’re showing the administration that the student body is united and committed to these demands.”
GUSS has confirmed with The Link that they will establish hard picket lines to prevent classes from proceeding and other associations may decide to follow suit in the coming days.
Additionally, some student groups like SASU are planning educational initiatives during the strike.
“We want to create spaces for students to connect their academic work with the social realities that matter to them,” Rodriguez said.
Organizers are optimistic about the turnout, noting widespread support across faculties. GUSS reported strong attendance at its general assembly to approve the strike motion, with near-unanimous support from members. Rodriguez noted similar enthusiasm among SASU students.
“The response has been overwhelmingly positive,” Rodriguez said. “Students want to take a stand.”
Organizers hope the strike will prompt the university to address student demands for transparency and accountability.
“We’re not just going to forget about the university’s actions,” Kuttner said. “We want them to take responsibility now, not decades later with an empty apology, as we’ve seen them do before.”
This article originally appeared in Volume 45, Issue 6, published November 19, 2024.
