Hunger Strike Escalates Students’ Demand for Divestment
A group of determined students at McGill University, one of Canada’s most prestigious institutions, have taken an extreme measure by embarking on a hunger strike that has lasted for more than three weeks. Their demand for McGill University to divest from companies supporting the Israeli military has prompted this drastic action after months of protests and sit-ins on campus and at universities worldwide.
Hunger Strike: Divestment from Controversial Investments
Documents reveal that McGill University holds investments in companies such as Lockheed Martin, a defence contractor that has sold fighter jets to Israel, and Safran, a French air and defence company. The students’ demand for McGill University is to divest approximately $20 million from various companies linked to the Israeli military’s actions.
Determination to Meet Demand for Divestment
Rania Amine, an undergraduate student at McGill, has been on hunger strike for 33 days. She stated, “McGill has ultimately pushed us to take this extreme form of action and put our bodies and our health and our lives on the line to make them know that it is unacceptable that they use our tuition money to invest in this way, ignoring our demand for divestment.”
Chadi, another undergraduate student who requested partial anonymity, echoed the sentiment, saying, “All of this stops when McGill meets our demand for divestment. We’re hunger striking for divestment, and we’re in it for the long haul.”
University Acknowledges Demand but Offers Alternative Resolutions
McGill University has acknowledged the students’ demand for divestment and expressed concern for the well-being of those participating in the hunger strike. The university stated that it respects the right to free speech and assembly within the limits of university policy and the law. However, McGill claims to have repeatedly offered to meet with the student protesters to discuss their demand for divestment, although the students have declined these offers so far.
Previous Divestment Decision in Response to Student Demand
In February, McGill announced its decision to divest from companies listed in the Carbon Underground 200, a list of the top 100 coal and the top 100 oil and gas publicly traded reserve holders. This divestment decision came after years of campaigns and demands from students and faculty members, demonstrating the university’s willingness to consider divestment in response to student demands.
