Updated: Injunction against Pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill denied

Article content

The pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University entered its fifth day on Wednesday against the backdrop of a looming court decision on whether it should be dismantled.

The exterior portion of the encampment, outside the fenced-in tents where people have been sleeping, grew from Tuesday to Wednesday.

Article content

Protesters have now installed wooden pallets over the muddy lawn and erected several sun shelters, extending the protest’s presence on campus.

Article content

“Despite yesterday’s very harsh rain, people tried to find ways through it and fix everything in the camp,” Concordia University student Ali Salman said Wednesday morning, speaking on behalf of the encampment. “Which shows that there’s still commitment, the morale is high, and people are still feeling very confident.”

McGill University has already said it has requested police assistance in handling the encampment, arguing the protest goes against school policy and the law. A single police car kept watch on the site early Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, a lawyer representing two McGill students was in court Tuesday requesting an order to have the encampment dismantled and a ban on protests within 100 metres of any of the school’s buildings.

A judge is expected to rule on the request Wednesday.

Regardless of the outcome, Salman said students have no intention of dismantling the camp and leaving campus.

“Whatever the (decision) is, we will try to stay here as long as possible,” he said. “Part of the injunction said this is a hostile environment. I really don’t see how an encampment that has a zone for parents to bring their kids and play in it is a hostile environment.”

Article content

Article content

Students began setting up the encampment on Saturday, on the lower part of McGill’s downtown campus. It has steadily grown and now counts roughly 75 tents in addition to the canopies and tarps surrounding it.

The protest is meant to bring together students from different Montreal universities in demanding their schools cut ties with Israeli institutions and companies in response to Israel’s offensive in Gaza.

The offensive was a response to the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas in Israel, in which more than 1,200 Israelis and foreigners were killed. More than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.

While McGill has said it has seen evidence of instances of antisemitism at the encampment, the students involved have repeatedly rejected the allegation and note there are several Jewish groups involved in the protest.

Jérôme Charaoui, a Montrealer who stopped by to support the protest Wednesday morning, said there is a “major disconnect” between the way the university has characterized the encampment and what he witnessed in person.

Article content

“I fear the administration is seeking to paint a different picture from what’s actually going on,” Charaoui said, “because of their intention to not deal with the (students’) demands but instead use force to silence their voices.”

Daniel Schwartz, an assistant professor in McGill’s department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, echoed the sentiment.

“As a Jewish professor, I take all accusations of antisemitism really seriously,” Schwartz said from the encampment. “But I find what McGill has issued as their statements and accusations of antisemitism borderline offensive.”

Schwartz said some of his students have been sleeping in the encampment since the weekend and he wanted to show them his support on Wednesday.

“I support them in their demands of divestment  —  like them, I do not want to be complicit in a genocide,” he said, urging the university to negotiate with the students about their demands.

“It would be a very, very bad idea to involve the police at this particular moment,” he added. “The university should know that and know that’s not the direction to take things.”

The Montreal police have acknowledged the force has received McGill’s request for assistance, but say they are considering the approach to take.

“The SPVM is following how the situation is developing and evaluating all possible avenues,” Montreal police spokesperson Antony Dorelas said Wednesday morning.

“Our role is to maintain peace and public safety. Of course, if there are criminal infractions we will adapt our strategy,” Dorelas added, “but we are really favouring a peaceful resolution in this case.”

This report will be updated.

Jacob Serebrin of the Montreal Gazette contributed to this report.

jfeith@postmedia.com

Article content

Article content