The Palestinian Students Alliance (PSA) gathered outside MacEwan University’s State of the University address on Tuesday, calling for greater transparency from the university as the event was held privately for the second consecutive year.
About eight protestors were present at the beginning of the demonstration in Allard Hall, growing to roughly 15 by the end after other students joined in. Between 25 and 30 students watched the protest from the surrounding floors.
The demonstration was held outside the room where MacEwan president and vice-chancellor Annette Trimbee delivered the address. Between five and seven security guards were present throughout the protest, along with two uniformed peace officers.
The State of the University Address has previously been open to students. In 2024, the PSA attended the event and questioned Trimbee about the university’s response to the ongoing genocide in Palestine and calls from students for the institution to disclose and divest potential financial ties to Israel. The event ended early following the exchange.
Students were not present at the 2025 address, which was instead attended by faculty and staff. This year’s event was again not open to the broader student body.
In a statement to the Griff, MacEwan said the change in format began in 2025, when the university shifted the event away from an open-forum, town hall format. The address now focuses on updating senior academic and administrative employees and invited community stakeholders, including members of the board of governors, on MacEwan’s progress toward goals laid out in the university’s strategic vision.
The university said a recording of this year’s address will be made available through its communications channels in the coming days.
One student involved in Tuesday’s protest said demonstrators learned about the address through contacts within the university and criticized a lack of public announcement about the event.
“Basically, for the past two years, the State of the University has been conducted in secret, and they’ve shut the door on students,” the student said.
The student linked the protest to the 2024 address, when protestors questioned Trimbee about Palestine, and said demonstrators have repeatedly sought a meeting with university administration.
“We have stated time and time again that a way to end these demonstrations is to meet with students.”
During the demonstration, protestors called on the university to review, disclose, and divest investments they allege are connected to companies complicit in Israel’s genocide in Palestine. They also called on the university to replace its Ex Libris library system and revoke measures taken against students in connection with previous protests.
Two people participating in the demonstration were issued one-month trespass notices. One declined to say whether they were a student, but said they had never previously been trespassed upon campus and expressed disappointment with the university’s response to the protest.
A second protestor confirmed they are a student and said that they had participated in similar protests before without being trespassed. They said the reason for their trespass notice was for handing out flyers explaining the purpose of Tuesday’s demonstration. The Griff has not independently verified the grounds for either trespass notice.
Security personnel declined to comment when approached by The Griff during the demonstration.
Protestors continued chanting and speaking into loudspeakers and a megaphone while attendees remained inside. Toward the end of the demonstration, attendees began leaving the event through an alternate exit. Faculty, staff, administration, and members of the Board of Governors were among those observed leaving through the side of the venue, with some walking through the demonstration as they exited Allard Hall. One attendee got into a verbal altercation with multiple protestors.
The protest ended shortly after attendees had left the event.
Throughout the demonstration, protestors argued that holding the address privately prevented students from directly questioning university leadership.
“This event used to be open for all.”
Cover photo: Dallon Costello/the Griff
Wild that security is trespassing students during midterm season… This isn’t where our tuition money should go :/