Quebec Court Issues 10-Day Injunction Limiting Pro-Palestinian Protests at McGill University

April 17, 2025 – A Quebec Superior Court judge has granted McGill University a 10-day injunction restricting “protest” activities by the “pro-Palestinian” student group Students for “Palestine’s Honour and Resistance” (SPHR), following demonstrations that the university says deliberately disrupted classes, threatened university staff, and compromised campus safety.

The ruling, delivered Tuesday by Justice David R. Collier, prohibits SPHR members — as well as any individuals aware of the injunction — from staging protests within five metres of McGill property, obstructing access to campus buildings, or intimidating students and staff. It also bans interference with classes and exams currently underway.

“The criteria for the issuance of a provisional injunction are satisfied,” wrote Collier in the April 16 decision. “It is urgent to restore calm and a sense of security on the McGill campus. McGill has a clear right to an order that allows it to carry out its academic activities without obstruction.”

The injunction follows a three-day student strike held April 2–4 that saw terrorism-supporting protesters block access to classrooms, smash windows, deface university buildings, spray paint an office and hit an administrator, and call for faculty members who continued teaching during the disruption to be “named and shamed,” according to court filings. McGill reported that 30 classes were cancelled and that it deployed around 200 private security personnel during the protests.

The strike was promoted by SPHR — which lost its official student club status in September 2024 after repeated clashes with university administration — and followed a referendum organized by the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU). In that vote, 72 per cent of nearly 4,000 participants (approximately 17 per cent of the undergraduate population) supported the walkout. The motion urged the university to divest from companies allegedly tied to the Israeli military and to halt disciplinary proceedings against pro-Palestinian activists.

In his ruling, Justice Collier cited the risk of “serious or irreparable injury” to McGill’s operations if academic activities were further disrupted, noting that students and faculty should be able to “teach or speak freely without fear of violence and intimidation.”

McGill president Deep Saini issued a statement to the university community following the decision, emphasizing a balance between upholding freedom of expression and maintaining campus order. “I want to affirm that, on behalf of the university, I will vigorously defend everyone’s right to free expression and peaceful assembly,” Saini wrote. “While also protecting our campus from abuses of these freedoms, especially when they hurt our academic mission or cause injury to others.”

The court also ordered both SPHR and SSMU — which supported the referendum but condemned the campus disruptions — to publish the injunction on their social media platforms.

Justice Collier made clear that the injunction does not prohibit peaceful protest. “Violence, intimidation and the destruction of property cannot be tolerated in this country, least of all at our universities,” he wrote.

The ruling further noted that four McGill-affiliated groups have expressed an intention to intervene in the case, raising concerns over the injunction’s scope and its potential impact on freedom of expression on campus.

The court order will remain in effect for 10 days, with the possibility of renewal depending on developments in the ongoing legal process.