Tens of thousands of students are expected to hold pro-Palestinian protests this week over the Israel-Hamas war.
With students set to boycott classes, Dawson College is shutting its doors on Thursday and Concordia is warning students not to engage in violence, vandalism or harassment.
Dawson “received numerous emails and calls from community members expressing concerns about the safety of students and employees on the day of the boycott,” Leanne Bennett, the CEGEP’s academic dean, told students in an email Tuesday.
“After carefully considering these concerns and reviewing all available information about the planned actions on (Thursday), we have decided to cancel classes and close the college on that day.”
With tensions at the college high due to the war, Dawson is concerned about the “safety and well-being of all our students and employees,” Bennett said.
She urged students to report incidents, including 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 said.
At Concordia, students in some departments are set to strike on Thursday and Friday.
The school will remain open, two administrators told students in an email Tuesday.
“Students who choose to strike must respect their peers who wish to attend classes,“ Concordia provost Anne Whitelaw and vice-president shor Di Grappa wrote.
“No one will be permitted to prevent others from entering or leaving Concordia buildings or classrooms.”
They added: “Ahead of the anticipated actions this week, we are calling on all community members and groups — particularly the striking student associations — to denounce violence in all its forms. Everyone has a responsibility to help ensure that protest activities remain peaceful and respectful and do not cross the line into criminal acts, such as vandalism and assault.”
Whitelaw and Di Grappa said Concordia security guards are facing increasingly aggressive behaviour, which has included physical attacks,” with some also targeted on social media.
Guards “are trained to try to manage crowds and de-escalate tense situations. However, they cannot stand idly by if they feel threatened or if they witness criminal behaviour, including when that behaviour is directed toward them.”
They said the university has a zero-tolerance policy for violence, vandalism and harassment and warned that anyone facilitating access for external parties who engage in misconduct may face disciplinary action or criminal prosecution.
They demanded the university commit to barring police from campus and alleged the school’s security team has unfairly targeted pro-Palestinian students in recent months.