Has York become less politically engaged?

Historically York has been known as the school where activism never stops.
So why have we seen such little of it recently? Protests seem to have all but disappeared from our campus, and this isn’t necessarily a good thing.
Has the school really managed to quiet its students?
According to OPIRG-York, an organization that conducts research, advocacy, and lobbying, as well as educational and media campaigns for social justice, “the decline of student activism has a direct correlation with the corporatization of York.”
With increased costs and budget cuts, York has basically become a big business, they say.
“York University was once an open institution that was used as a safe space to express different views, but unfortunately, the university’s administration has made clear their views on protests and the consequences the students will face if participating in such activities.”
We’ve decided to take a look back into the Excalibur archives at large student protests that refl ect York University’s once active and radical student political engagement.
We also highlight a few recent events that suggest while activism may be dormant on our campus, it isn’t dead.
See the entire centre-spread here!
Marileina Pearson
Photo Editor