McGill denounces ‘youth summer program’ at encampment that promotes ‘revolutionary lessons’

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An Instagram post advertising a month-long “Youth Summer Program” at the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University, promising to teach the youth of Montreal “revolutionary lessons,” has outraged Jewish leaders and McGill’s administration.

The post, which appeared on Instagram on Wednesday evening on the account of the McGill chapter of Students in Solidarity with Palestinian Rights (SPHRmcgill) features a photograph of six young people sitting on the ground reading, most wearing the black and white kaffiyehs that represent the Palestinian liberation movement. Two of the people in the photo appear to be holding rifles.

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The post says, “In response to the transnational student call-out to #Revolt4Rafah, the Gaza Solidarity Encampment at McGill is launching the revolutionary Youth Summer Program. We pledge to educate the youth of Montreal and redefine McGill’s ‘elite’ institutional legacy by transforming its space into one of revolutionary education. The daily schedule will include physical activity, Arabic language instruction, cultural crafts, political discussions, historical and revolutionary lessons.”

The program, the post says, is to begin on June 17 at McGill campus lower field, with weekly themes: Week 1: “The History of the Palestinian Resistance,” Week 2: “The Ongoing Nakba,” Week 3: “Different Fronts of the Movement,” and Week 4: “Media after October 7th.” (Nakba is a term Palestinians use to describe their expulsion in 1948 from land used to create the state of Israel and ongoing persecution since then.)

McGill University president and vice-chancellor Deep Saini issued a statement Friday to the McGill community, saying he has “grave concerns” regarding the Instagram post. He said he has flagged it “and other recent activities” to public safety authorities “as matters of national security, and (he is) requesting all appropriate interventions to ensure the safety of our community.”

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“This is extremely alarming,” Saini wrote. “It has attracted international media attention, and many in our community have understandably reached out to share grave concerns — concerns that I share. It should go without saying that imagery evoking violence is not a tool of peaceful expression or assembly. This worrying escalation is emblematic of the rising tensions on campuses across North America, where we have seen many incidents that go well beyond what universities are equipped to manage on their own.”

Saini described the post as the latest escalation of SPHR’s “long-standing strategy of intimidation and fear,” noting the group described the Oct. 7 Hamas incursion into Israel and taking of hostages there as “heroic.” More than 1,200 Israelis were killed in that Oct. 7 invasion. The subsequent Israel-Hamas war has led to the deaths of more than 36,000 people, the Hamas-run Gaza ministry of health says.

“SPHR has invoked offensive antisemitic language and imagery, and claimed responsibility for the harassment of McGill community members. Their incendiary rhetoric and tactics seek to intimidate and destabilize our community. In recent months, some members of the McGill community have chosen to advocate for their views through open dialogue and peaceful protest. Regrettably, SPHR is not among them.”

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He said the university will increase the presence of security staff near the encampment and elsewhere on campus. He noted that McGill is pursuing legal action to stop the group from using “McGill” on social media platforms and elsewhere. He also called on the independent Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), which lists SPHR as an affiliated club, “to publicly condemn this ‘summer program,’ sever their relationship with SPHR, cease any disbursement of funds to them, and affirm SSMU’s commitment to the well-being and success of McGill students of all identities, beliefs, and lived experiences. We have indicated that, should SSMU fail to take these steps, this will be interpreted as their endorsement of SPHR’s activities.”

Henry Topas, the Quebec regional director for B’nai Brith Canada, called the post advertising the summer program “appalling.”

“First they started holding demonstrations every week, despite their tendency to spout violent and antisemitic slogans,” he said. “Then, they illegally occupied the campus, bullied Jewish students, harassed McGill administrators at their homes and broke into university buildings. Now we have a ‘summer camp’ openly being advertised with images of masked men holding weapons. Is McGill going to allow its campus to be used to brainwash youths into thinking that terrorism is acceptable?”

Richard Robertson, B’nai Brith Canada’s director of research and advocacy, called the situation at McGill “out of control.”

“We call on McGill and the local authorities to ensure that the university’s property is not used as a forum to incite violence against Israel and Jews,” he said.

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