Multiple student groups mark second anniversary of October 7

October 7, 2025 marked two years since the Hamas attack on Israel that killed nearly 1,200 people and took 251 as hostages. Following the attack, Israel launched a bombardment on the Gaza strip that has continued for two years. The Gaza Health Ministry estimates that Israel has killed about 67,000 Palestinians and injured nearly 170,000.

Students at the University of Alberta marked October 7 on Main Quad with an event organized by the Muslim Students’ Association (MSA) and the Palestinian Cultural Club and support by Doctors Without Borders and Human Appeal. The event included speakers and an exhibit about the history of Palestine.

Additionally, there was a barbecue collecting proceeds for Gaza.

One of the speakers, Michael Litwak, a professor at the U of A, said “we do not need any more words, we need to strive towards an unceasing and disciplined commitment to what we already know is true.”

He said divestment is the bare minimum, but that “we must force our universities, our unions, our government to [divest.]”

One of the organizers of the event spoke as well, calling on students to continue to educate themselves about Palestine.

Iman Siddiqui works with Human Appeal, a humanitarian organization, and attended the event in Main Quad. She told The Gateway that the event was meant to raise awareness for Palestine and to raise funds for Gaza.

“It’s bringing all the students in the student life together,” Siddiqui explained. “I went to the U of A so it’s special to be back here.”

She also said that the MSA “does so much good work, they do so much community involvement work, so we’re really happy to be a part of helping them put on this great event.”

SJP drops leaflets in CAB, Hillel Edmonton tables in SUB

Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) dropped pamphlets and played an announcement in the Central Academic Building (CAB) around 2:00 p.m.. The demonstration simulated evacuation notices given to Palestinians in Gaza to leave areas to avoid bombing by Israel. 

The leaflets said “UAlberta funds genocide” and called on the university to divest from Israel and companies that contribute to weapons development.

The leaflets also said the university’s “board meets in closed rooms and shuts its ears while it soaks our university in blood.”

Hillel Edmonton, an organization for Jewish post-secondary students, tabled in the Students’ Union Building. Hillel did not respond to The Gateway‘s request for an interview before publication.

Since October 7, students have protested on campus several times, including a three-day encampment that ended with the U of A calling Edmonton Police Services to remove it from Main Quad. A large focus of these protests have been for the university to disclose and divest from companies that fund Israeli companies and weapons.

U of A media relations said in a statement to The Gateway that the university “is firmly committed to the principles of academic freedom and freedom of expression. These values are fundamental to our mission as a public university and are guided by policies.”

The policies include the Statement on Free Expression and the Discrimination and Harassment Policy.

The statement also said that “while the university does not endorse the viewpoints expressed at student group events, the groups must follow established procedures and meet approval criteria to host activities on campus.”

Media relations said that the event in Main Quad was approved through that process.