Growing student opposition to military recruitment Shunpiking Online Vo.6 No.3

Student opposition to military recruitment forced the Canadian Forces to cancel a recruitment kiosk at St-Jérome cégep north of Montreal last December 5. With a mandate to oppose all military presence on the campus, the student association had prepared a variety of activities to disrupt the recruitment. Once the student association informed the recruiters of their plans, the plans for the kiosk were cancelled.

Again, at the St-Laurent cégep, the student association planned a disruption in the event that the Royal Military College is present at a university recruitment fair on December 7.

These actions are part of a national campaign underway at educational institutions across Quebec organized by the Centre de ressources sur la non-violence in partnership with student associations. Similar activities were carried out at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC) and Ste-Foy, Ste-Hyacinthe and Maisonneuve cégeps, with more planned for this year's next session of classes.

The campaign aims to not only thwart military recruitment but to inform students about the darker side of a military career and denounce increased military funding to the detriment of accessibility to education. The campaign is also encouraging students to take a stand in their general assemblies against the military presence in their schools.

Currently, more than 20 student associations and organizations have already done so.

(Source: Agence de nouvelles Telbec)