Canada’s McGill University event with UN rapporteur relocated amid pro-Palestine crackdown

The UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, delivered a speech at McGill University in Canada on Monday despite attempts to cancel her appearance, in what is a reflect of a broader pattern of suppressing criticism of Israel on North American campuses.

The event, originally scheduled to be held at McGill’s Faculty of Law, was relocated hastily to the student union building after the university raised concerns following pressure from several pro-Israel groups. A letter sent to the university on Friday called for Albanese to be barred from campus.

Speaking to a packed audience in the venue, Albanese acknowledged the controversy surrounding her appearance. “I know the hurdles you had to go through in order to secure this event, which makes this moment even more devastating,” she told the organisers. “We cannot mourn, we cannot talk.”

The student organisers were sharply critical of the university’s handling of the situation. “It must be clarified that McGill fought to shamelessly shut down this event,” said student union representative Hugo-Victor Solomon, who claimed that the university had threatened disciplinary action against the organisers.

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The attempted cancellation at McGill coincided with wider opposition to Albanese’s Canadian tour. The UN rapporteur later alleged that pro-Israel lobby groups had successfully pressured Canadian government officials, including Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, to cancel planned meetings.

“It’s happening because of the pressure from pro-Israel lobby groups, who are very vocal, very virulent, very aggressive,” Albanese told reporters at Parliament Hill. “What are they fearing? I’m telling you the truth; I’m just speaking facts and international law.”

Despite the obstacles, the relocated event drew an overflow crowd, with students packing the venue to capacity. Organisers noted that the attempted suppression had inadvertently generated greater interest, drawing a larger audience than the original venue could have accommodated.

The controversy adds to growing concerns about academic freedom and open discourse regarding Israel and Palestine on university campuses. Critics point to what they describe as a pattern of institutional resistance to Palestinian advocacy and critical discussions of the Zionist state of Israel.

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