The Palestinian Student Alliance (PSA) held its general members meeting at MacEwan University on Monday, Oct. 5. This was the group’s first meeting since the Students’ Association of MacEwan University (SAMU) suspended the PSA as a student group in May 2025.
The Griff previously reported that SAMU suspended the PSA for violating the student group code of conduct through disruptive activities and social media posts. The suspension expired in September 2026.
According to PSA member Nour Salhi, one of the group’s priorities this year is continuing its protest against MacEwan’s library system, Ex Libris.
Ex Libris has been a target of the PSA since May 2025, when the group alleged in an Instagram post that the company possessed “over 6,000 stolen Palestinian books, from displaced and/or murdered Palestinians.”
In October 2025, the PSA also called on students to boycott the MacEwan library system.
“There is also the partnership with Coca-Cola,” Salhi said, adding that the company has been a target of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement for years.
SAMU’s student group handbook states that student groups cannot provide or sell any beverages other than Coca-Cola products.
PSA members said that their relationship with MacEwan has been strained.
“It’s been very disappointing and frankly alarming to see the university’s response to the activism that’s been happening these past couple years,” said Salhi.
“I think it’s really difficult to have any kind of hope in the university right now to mend any kind of relationship with us,” said PSA member Hasna Yahia. “That being said, the ball is definitely in their court.”
Despite tensions with the university, members said they still feel support from students on campus.
“I see our numbers growing, and I see people being interested and having conversations with us,” Yahia said.
“We go in the hallways, we’re seeing students who are giving us thumbs up, or seeing new people come in all the time, y’know, I’m really hopeful,” said PSA member Ruth Hopkinson.
However, Hopkinson emphasized the importance of students taking a more active role in the movement.
“Sitting at home, just sitting liking the post, it’s not enough. We need to have active participation, active voices, speaking out against the genocide for any genuine social change to be made.”
– Ruth Hopkinson, PSA member
“There is a place for everybody in this movement,” said Yahia. “And I hope that more people will feel inclined to connect with us and become a part of this.”
