"I understand the challenge of conveying complex motivations in a limited word count. Still, a more detailed description of the strike’s aims would provide readers with a clearer understanding of student intentions and allow for more informed public discourse."
April 3, 2025
To:
Marilena Lucci, Editor-in-Chief, Montreal Gazette
Jeff Blond, Managing Editor, Montreal Gazette
Harry North, Reporter, Montreal Gazette
Good afternoon Mr. North,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) regarding your article titled “Some classes disrupted at McGill University as pro-Palestinian strike commences,” published on April 2, 2025. While I appreciate your balanced coverage of this important campus event, I would like to raise one concern about the way the strike’s purpose is described.
At the beginning of the article, you state the following:
“The disruptions came on the first day of a three-day strike organized by the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), which is calling on the university to drop its investments in weapons manufacturers it says are linked to Israel’s military operations in Gaza.”
I do believe that this sentence is accurate overall, but I find it lacks important context that would help readers fully understand the scope of the student-led action.
According to SMMU’s published motion, the strike is the culmination of years of sustained mobilization by students calling on McGill to divest from weapon manufacturers. Although you mention this point, I feel it’s important to be specific and include the companies outlined in the motion such as Lockheed Martin, Thales, Airbus, and BAE Systems.
This is also one of the three clear objectives outlined in the motion. The others included a temporary academic shutdown as a symbolic act of protest; and institutional accountability, including a call for McGill to halt disciplinary measures against student activists and to end contracts with private security firms such as SIRCO, which have forcibly removed protesters from campus. I believe these points should be mentioned in the article.
I understand the challenge of conveying complex motivations in a limited word count. Still, a more detailed description of the strike’s aims would provide readers with a clearer understanding of student intentions and allow for more informed public discourse.
Given your already rigorous reporting on student protests, I hope you will consider including this context in future updates.
Sincerely,
Anthony Issa
Media Analyst
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East