Ottawa [Canada], March 24: This move comes after months of protests at McGill University and many other schools in many countries around the world, to protest Israel 's military campaign in Gaza, according to The Guardian .
Documents on McGill University's website show the school holds investments in companies including Lockheed Martin (a defense contractor that has sold fighter jets to Israel) and Safran (an international company). Department of Defense and Aviation of France).
"McGill University has left us no other choice because they have ignored the peaceful protests on campus," said Rania Amine, a student at McGill, marking the 33rd day of her hunger strike . me on March 22. Ms. Amine was said to have been hospitalized after fainting and exhaustion on March 23, according to Middle East Eye .
"McGill has pushed us into a corner, forced to take these extreme actions. We put our bodies, health and lives at risk to make the school know that they should not use the money our tuition fees to invest in an unacceptable way," Ms. Amine added.
Students are calling on McGill (one of the most prestigious universities in Canada) to divest about $20 million from various companies.
Ms. Amine said the school was aware of the student protest campaign and agreed to hold a public dialogue on the issue, but the event was canceled. Students said McGill proposed a private meeting in early March but was rejected.
Mr. Chadi said that March 22 was the 21st day of his continuous hunger strike. "We hope the school divests its capital otherwise we will be involved in this for a long time. We have proven that we will prolong this activity through the number of days we are on hunger strike," he added .
On March 22, McGill University released a statement saying they were concerned about the health of students participating in this activity. "McGill respects freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, within the limits of university policy and state law. We have repeatedly asked to meet directly with student protesters. Despite To date they have refused, but this offer is still valid," the statement added.
"We have clearly communicated existing procedures regarding the school's investment holdings or policy changes. These students have chosen a different approach. We hope that they will understand that the "School policy will not be determined in this way before their well-being is affected. We urge them to make choices that prioritize their health," according to a statement from McGill.
In February, McGill said it would divest from companies listed in the Carbon Underground 200, a list of the top 100 coal companies and 100 companies holding oil and gas reserves, after a lengthy protest campaign. many years of students and faculty.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper