Activists threatened to shut down a planned event this week, which the university said escalated into a targeted death threat.
McGill University has suspended all extracurricular event bookings on campus until January after activists threatened online to shut down a planned event this week, which the university said escalated into a targeted death threat.
In an email to the university community on Monday, McGill said that an external group, which co-organized protests last week that led to vandalism and violence downtown, had issued a social media call to “shut down” the event.
“This, in turn, incited waves of online anger, including a targeted death threat,” the message said.
“We have communicated with police, but the risk to event participants and the McGill community remains unacceptably high,” the university stated.
The event has been moved online. McGill didn’t confirm the name or the event planned
As a result, McGill also announced that no new bookings for extracurricular events would be approved until January.
The decision comes as Canadian universities continue to face challenges in balancing free expression with safety amid ongoing tensions and protests over the Israel-Hamas war, with McGill emerging as a focal point for activism in Montreal.
In its message this week, McGill emphasized that hosting controversial speakers is a core part of university life but underscored the need for safety and stability.
“Where security threats exist, we must intervene, and that threat level has been escalating steadily,” the university wrote.
The suspension of bookings coincides with the exam period, which the university said provides “time and space for students to focus on their exams, and for reflection on our approach toward invited speakers going forward.”
This report will be updated.