MONTREAL - Barred by a court injunction from demonstrating on campus, the support staff at McGill University was given its own show of support by several dozen students Wednesday who decided to demonstrate in their place.
The support staff at McGill has been on strike since the first day of classes about a month ago, but a staff demonstration last week led the university to seek the injunction because it felt the disruption on campus was simply too great.
"The university decided to take out the injunction when it got to the point that we felt that we had to act," said vice-principal Michael Di Grappa.
The injunction prohibits the support staff from demonstrating anywhere on campus or within four metres of any campus entrance.
"They've enabled them to stop us from expressing to the general public and to the McGill community," said Kevin Whittaker of the McGill University Non-Academic Certified Association.
However, the school's own guidelines guarantees that students have freedom of expression, though the university says even that right has its limits.
"If the noise is such that people cannot concentrate, if they're blocking access to buildings, obviously that is not what is meant by our policy," Di Grappa said.
Some students challenged that Wednesday, blocking access to administrative offices during their demonstration.
"What the student rights handbook clearly states we are entitled to freedom of expression on campus," said Joel Pedneault, VP external affairs for the McGill student union. "Same as in the Canadian charter of rights."
The injunction on staff members remains in effect until Oct. 3, at which point it is up for a court review.
