Dawson College to close Thursday after students hold strike in solidarity with Gaza

Students walk to class at Dawson College on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (CTV News)

Dawson College will be closed on Thursday after students voted in favour of holding a one-day strike in solidarity with Gaza.

The college announced Tuesday that classes would be cancelled after receiving "numerous emails and calls from members of the community expressing concerns about the safety of students and employees on the day of the boycott," Academic Dean Leanne Bennett said in a memo to students.

"We recognize that recent events have raised tensions at the college. Our paramount concern is the safety and well-being of all our students and employees."

The college said it will revise the academic calendar so that all exams will take place as planned.

Last Thursday, students voted 447 for and 247 against the strike day, which one student said was a way to voice their opposition to the ongoing war in the Middle East.

The Coalition de résistance pour l’unité étudiante syndicale (CRUES), a collective of student unions representing 35,000 members across Quebec, helped organize the student movement in Quebec. Similar strikes are also happening across North America.

According to their website, more than 20 student associations in and outside of its membership in Quebec have pledged to go on strike between Thursday and Friday, totalling more than 62,000 members. The Concordia Undergraduate Psychology Association (2,000 members), the General Students Association of Montmorency College (8,000 members), and the Students Arts Association at the Université du Québec à Montréal (3,400 members) are among the groups participating in the strike.

According to CRUES, the goal of the strike is to convince "institutions, corporations, the federal government, and the provincial government to sever all ties with Israel."

In an interview last week, Dawson student Rhali Bitar said, "The strike is our only way to have a voice into this big problem that is happening, like, far from here on the other side of the ocean. But it still affects every one of us every day."

Dawson acknowledged Tuesday that tensions are high leading up to the strike and called on all students to report any instance of cyberbullying or harassment

"It is our collective responsibility to work together to create a learning environment where everyone feels safe, and intimidation and violence of any kind are not tolerated," Bennett's memo reads.

The Jewish Students Association at Dawson took issue with the wording of the question on the ballot and campaigned against the strike.

On Tuesday, two Jewish organizations — the Montreal-based Federation CJA and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) — released a joint statement condemning Dawson's decision to shut down and accused the college of giving in to demonstrators who want to "hijack" students' access to education.

"Students have the right to attend class, engage in free academic discourse, and pursue their educational passions," their statement said.

McGill University and Concordia University told CTV News they no plans to close down on the strike days.

The Associated Press reported Tuesday that the war has so far killed more than 43,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to local health officials. The killing erupted following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in southern Israel that killed more than 1,200 people. About 100 people remain captive by Hamas, which Canada has designated a terrorist organization.