Across Alberta, classrooms emptied and the steps of the legislature filled as hundreds of students cut class on Thursday to protest Premier Danielle Smith’s decision to end the province-wide teachers’ strike. The students, many wearing red to show solidarity with educators, chanted, “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Danielle Smith has got to go!” while waving handmade signs criticizing what they call an attack on teachers’ rights.
The demonstration erupted after Smith’s government swiftly passed legislation forcing 51,000 teachers back to work—using the Charter’s notwithstanding clause to override their right to strike and impose a contract that educators had previously rejected. The move sparked outrage across schools and communities, with students taking to social media to organize rallies in Edmonton, Calgary, and other cities.
At the Edmonton legislature, signs mocked Smith’s policies and persona—one depicting her as a “Grinch” with the caption, “Your heart’s an empty hole.” Sixteen-year-old student Matilda Barron said skipping class to be heard was worth it. “It’s not playing hooky—it’s our future. The government needs to see what underfunded education really looks like,” she said. Fellow student Corey Piche added that overcrowded classes and the lack of educational assistants were making learning harder every day.
On Edmonton’s southside, students stood on overpasses waving signs as passing vehicles honked in support. Grade 12 student Josh Plamondon called the back-to-work order “a milestone that should never have been crossed,” saying it trampled on fundamental rights.
In Calgary, about 200 students gathered outside city hall holding placards that read, “If school zones have limits, then classes should too.”
Premier Smith, who was abroad on a trade mission to the Middle East as the bill passed, defended her decision, saying the strike had caused “irreparable harm” to students’ education and emotional well-being. However, critics—including the Alberta Teachers’ Association, the Canadian Bar Association, and Amnesty International—condemned the pre-emptive use of the notwithstanding clause as a “gross violation of rights” and a dangerous precedent.
Unions are now weighing next steps, including recalling government members and even a potential general strike. The original dispute, which began October 6, centered on demands for smaller class sizes and better support for students with complex learning needs. While the province has promised to hire 3,000 more teachers and form a panel to address classroom overcrowding, many students say they’ll keep raising their voices until those promises are kept.