Should university staff at McGill be allowed to demand students identify themselves on campus? Montreal’s McGill University’s board of governors has voted in favour of a controversial new policy. It’s called the Identification Policy for Access to Properties Owned, Occupied, or Used by the University.
This policy was proposed by Professor Fabrice Labeau on January 14, 2026 and it received quick criticism for the power it gives to McGill security and staff to demand identification from anyone on campus grounds.
The concerns raised about the policy point to its timing after the pro-Palestine encampments. Critics of the policy are concerned about how the policy might be used against protestors trying to protect their privacy, women wearing a veil for religious reasons, and those who wear the mask for medical purposes.
To learn more about the policy and the concerns around it, Local 514 host Kalden Dhatsenpa speaks to student from McGill that helped organize an open letter of opposition to the policy back in the winter.
