STUDENT ACTIVISM Don’t just sit there - do something! There’s a large and loud community of activists in Montreal and on campus who want your help. If you want to stand up against oppression and demonstrate your commitment to social justice, there are plenty of ways to become an activist in Montreal and at McGill. Whatever your political inclination or preferred means of involvement, just find an organization that you feel comfortable working with. Staying in the Loop There’s a semi-bilingual mailing list for social justice and activist evens in Montreal, which you can join at masses.tao.ca/lists/listinfo/ act-mtl. Or, if you can’t stand a cluttered inbox, the Montreal Mirror frequently prints announcements about upcoming protests and demonstrations.
about QPIRG, or just borrow some books form their Alternative Resource Library, visit them on the third floor of 3647 University, or at qpirgmcgill.org. The other prominent McGill activist group in recent years has been the GrassRoots Association for Student Power (GRASPé). They’re an autonomous, non-hierarchical group of McGill students committed to direct action, and have been responsible for a number of high-profile campus demonstrations. Although they were off the radar for the 2008-2009 year (their website at grasp.wordpress.com hasn’t been updated for a while), GRASPé members are still a force to be reckoned with at McGill.
McGill Activism McGill also has a number of vibrant activist groups. The bestknown is undoubtedly McGill’s branch of the Quebec Public Interest Research Group. QPIRG is funded by a fee collected from McGill students, and their goal is to raise awareness and motivate grassroots activism around diverse social and environmental justice issues. In recent years, QPIRG has been involved in putting on a number of campus events, including Social Justice Days, Culture Shock, and various Pride events. They also operate Radical Frosh, a political and activist alternative to the usual booze-drenched introduction to McGill, immerses students in the activist culture of campus and the city. If you want to learn more
Montreal Activism There are plenty of activist groups in Montreal as well, from the Lebanese solidarity group Tadamon! (tadamon.resist.ca) to the anti-war group Échec à la Guerre (aqoci. qc.ca/ceg). The Anachist Bookfair Collective also hosts the largest gathering of anarchists in North America every May at its annual bookfair (anarchistbookfair.ca), and it has an anarchist bookstore and infoshop called L’Insoumise at 2033 St. Laurent. Of course, that’s just the start of it. As a large and diverse city, Montreal has plenty of different groups to suit your activist inclinations. Most of them maintain online presences, so fire up your computer or just ask around, and soon you’ll be sticking it to the man.
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