There is a heavy police presence at McGill University ahead of two impending protests on Thursday.
The school has also asked people not to use the central entrance to its downtown campus via the Roddick Gates on Sherbrooke Street.
“Police told McGill security that the SPVM received information about a protest heading to our downtown campus,” an internal note from the university states. “The police mobilized officers and have talked to individuals in the encampment and in the protest.”
This comes as Jewish groups say they plan to launch a counter-protest to the pro-Palestinian encampment at 12:30 p.m. near the Roddick Gates.
“We’re here for safety purposes to make sure that we can intervene if anything is going on,” said SPVM spokesperson Jean-Pierre Brabant. “Obviously, we want these protests to go really calmly, peacefully.”
A poster shared on social media called on people to “demand that McGill University enforces its policies and to stand against Jew-hatred on campus. Never again is now.”
A counter-counter-protest is also set to take place at 11:30 a.m. at the Roddick Gates by groups supporting the pro-Palestinian encampment.
The pro-Palestinian encampment has been on McGill’s lower field since last weekend, demanding the university divest from funds they claim are connected to Israel.
“We are a peaceful encampment and we will remain like that,” said Ali Salman, a representative of the encampment. “When there is an act of provocation, which is clearly, the counter-protests that were made were clearly an act of provocation or instigation…we have the community behind us who’s willing to support us, to defend us. We will remain peaceful and remain on our message, which is divest.”
The group says they also want the school to cut academic ties with Israeli institutions and denounce Israel’s offensive in Gaza following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
Brabant said the police’s main goal is to keep the opposing camps apart to avoid any injury.
“We’re in constant communication with the people from the encampment and McGill University, to reassure them why we’re here, why there’s an increase of police presence,” said Brabant. “It’s just to make sure that nothing goes on and that people can protest peacefully.”
Brabant said police are ready to intervene if anything escalates. He said that there have been no issues since Saturday and that the Montreal fire department (SIM) inspected the encampment and found that it was safe.
The Israeli offensive has led to more than 34,000 Palestinian deaths, according to the local health ministry.
The encampment in Montreal is one of a wave of similar protests across university campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Since the court injunction was rejected on Wednesday, the SPVM has been evaluating the next steps, Brabant said. The force does not want an escalation of tensions such as those at UCLA and Columbia University south of the border.
“We’re aware of what’s going in the States, [and] we’re aware of, of maybe what’s could go on,” said Brabant. “At this point, we want everything to be done peacefully since the beginning, and we’re going to continue in that direction.”
Brabant said avoiding confrontation is all about the approach.
“Since the beginning, we had a verbal approach to communication, and that’s what the police department wants to do, is to have a communication to make sure that if we have to go on the encampment, and take things off, either in the next few days, or we don’t know the time that that’s going to happen, we want it to be done peacefully in a way that would be respectful for everyone,” said Brabant.