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The anti-Israel mob had no right to crash my McGill graduationGraduation ceremonies should be about students and their families. My ceremony at McGill wasn'tLast updated 36 minutes ago You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Pro-Palestinian students disrupt graduation at McGill University on June 1, 2026. https://www.instagram.com/p/DZGjVfBNBfv/On June 2, I attended my graduation ceremony at McGill University’s Tomlinson Fieldhouse to receive my BA in international development. What should have been one of the happiest moments of my life was hijacked by pro-Palestine students.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. 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Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorAs a Muslim undergraduate student, I never expected my university experience would include opposing a protest movement that claimed to speak on my behalf. Yet that is exactly what happened.Growing up in Toronto, McGill occupied a near-mythical place in my imagination. Teachers, mentors and peers spoke of it as one of Canada’s premier universities. As the granddaughter of immigrants and daughter of entrepreneurs, I saw attending McGill as an opportunity to honour the sacrifices that made my education possible.This newsletter from NP Comment tackles the topics you care about. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays)By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againI arrived eager to learn how to think. Instead, too often, I found myself being told what to think. While pursuing my degree in international development with minors in political science and world Islamic and Middle Eastern studies, I found that classroom discussions were often engaging, yet ideological conformity increasingly appeared to replace intellectual curiosity. This reality was on full display at graduation.Before the ceremony began, a student approached several graduates waiting backstage. She handed us a sheet of paper containing chants and instructions. Graduation, she explained matter-of-factly, would be interrupted to protest what she described as “the genocide in Gaza.”Within seconds of provost Angela Campbell taking the stage to address graduates from social science fields, chants erupted throughout the Fieldhouse, including: “McGill continues to fund genocide!”; “Disclose. Divest. We will not stop. We will not rest!”; and “Justice for Genocide!”For approximately three minutes, the chanting overwhelmed the ceremony. Families who had travelled across Canada and around the world to celebrate their loved one’s graduation were forced to sit through a political demonstration.When the disruption finally subsided, some graduates crossed the stage to receive their diplomas, carrying signs related to the Israel-Hamas conflict. These students received loud applause from the audience.Watching it unfold, I felt less surprised than disappointed. The ceremony had become a reflection of what McGill has allowed itself to become. I know, because I spent much of my university experience challenging this campus culture.Since October 7, student organizations at McGill crossed lines that would once have been unthinkable on a Canadian campus. The campus chapter of Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights referred to the attacks on social media as “heroic” and announced a celebration.McGill’s administration publicly condemned the post, fully acknowledging that it celebrated “recent acts of terror and violence,” and that it was contrary to the university’s values.This didn’t change anything. In fact, things only got worse. Disruptions became routine.Last June, pro-Palestinian protesters occupied an administrative building for hours. There were ongoing student strikes, protests and vandalism, and on April 27, 2024, an encampment appeared on McGill’s lower field.Students erected tents, fenced off sections of university property, maintained an unauthorized occupation for more than two months and repeatedly ignored warnings that encampments were prohibited on campus.Despite these acknowledged violations, the encampment remained for 75 days. It was eventually dismantled following concerns about health and safety conditions. McGill’s statement notes it was removed for many reasons, including rats, fire risks and drug overdoses.The encampment came down, but students’ efforts to hijack campus didn’t stop. Even some professors got involved. In late of August 2025, Prof. William Roberts declared on X his “full economic and military support for Hamas and Hezbollah.”Days later, McGill’s senate nominating committee suggested that Roberts be replaced in his role as vice-chair of the university’s committee on student discipline, which hears cases of student misconduct, including protests, encampment violations, harassment and antisemitism complaints — a rare case of accountability. Roberts is still an associate professor in McGill’s political science department, but is on sabbatical until September.What happened at graduation was not a spontaneous act of conscience. It was the predictable result of years of administrative paralysis.McGill had options. The university could have clearly communicated that graduation disruptions would not be tolerated. It could have enforced its own code of conduct, removing participants who intentionally disrupted the ceremony. At the very least, McGill could have acknowledged afterwards that we deserved better.As a Muslim student, I reject the idea that supporting Palestinians requires disrupting graduations, excusing extremism or transforming universities into permanent sites of political agitation. I also resent that I could not enjoy my own graduation in peace. Before and after the ceremony, protesters and graffiti around Roddick Gates made it impossible to take memorable photographs with my family.McGill owes graduates an apology. More importantly, it owes future students something better: a university willing to enforce its rules, communicate honestly with its community and remember that not every moment must be sacrificed to activism.Graduation ceremonies should be about students and their families. My ceremony at McGill wasn’t.National PostRaihaana Adira recently graduated from McGill with a bachelor of arts, majoring in international development and minoring in political science and world Islamic Middle Eastern studies. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.