Can Marching for Palestine in Canada Get You Fired? Well, It Depends.
In Canada, there’s a budding crackdown on workers who have expressed pro-Palestine sentiments. While Canadian bosses have considerable latitude in who they fire, workers have legal recourse to fight back.
Hundreds of protesters take to the streets in Edmonton, Alberta, on October 15, 2023. (Artur Widak / NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Since the outbreak of violence in Israel and Palestine early last month, thousands have taken to the streets in support of the Palestinian people, calling for an end to the bombing and protesting Israel’s system of apartheid and its illegal occupation. Meanwhile, those who side with Israel have mounted demonstrations of their own, with many quick to equate Palestine solidarity with antisemitism and support for Hamas.
For workers who stand in solidarity with Palestine (and those who support Israel), this tense political moment has created some uncertainty as to their rights in the workplace.
The first days of the conflict saw an Air Canada pilot fired for his anti-Israel social media posts. More recently, Ontario MPP Sarah Jama was censured and thrown out of the New Democratic Party (NDP) caucus after publicly calling for a cease-fire in Gaza and criticizing Israeli apartheid and aggression. Meanwhile, labor and student unions at universities, including York and McMaster, have publicly clashed with administrators over statements on the conflict.
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