Pro-Palestinian student protesters at the encampment on McGill University’s downtown campus say they are staying put as the school administration announced Tuesday it was ending negotiations with them.
In a letter sent to news organizations, McGill president Deep Saini said the university is also planning disciplinary action against the protesters.
The encampment has been in place on the campus’s lower field on Sherbrooke Street in Montreal for nearly two months, since April 27.
“Despite our ongoing efforts to discuss in good faith, the representatives of the encampment have maintained that their demands are non-negotiable while accusing the university of unwillingness to engage in fair discussions,” Saini said in the statement.
“As it has become clear that no fruitful outcome will result from these talks, we are ceasing discussions.”
At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, a student representative for the encampment said administration officials had ignored the students’ request for a meeting sent June 14, after they had rejected McGill’s latest offer.
“They not only refused to respond, they lied about it and smeared students for it and it is shameful that our administration, which is investing millions of dollars in a genocide, are actively refusing to answer the demands of their students,” said student Rama Al Malah, speaking for Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) McGill, a group leading the encampment.
University goes cold after offer refused
The rejected offer had proposed to explore divesting from weapons manufacturers, disclose more investments under $500,000 and fund students and scholars affected by the crisis in the Middle East.
The protesters have said they won’t leave until the university ends its investments connected to Israel’s military and cuts ties with Israeli institutions.
“We’re staying until our demands are met,” Al Malah said in an interview. “Companies like Lockheed Martin, Safran … the university can directly cease investing in them yet it refuses.”
Saini said the university will move ahead with its proposal, despite the failure of the negotiations. But McGill had also offered amnesty to students and staff participating in the encampment, which is now off the table. “As our proposal was rejected, the university will pursue disciplinary processes against individuals participating in the encampment to the full extent outlined in our policies,” the statement read.
Saini also mentioned a photo of people holding assault rifles that was used to advertise what protesters called a “revolutionary youth summer program” that began this week at the encampment.
“Despite efforts to reach out and hold discussions with the encampment, these behaviours have only escalated, and have continued to result in substantial costs and disruptions, including the relocation of convocation away from lower field,” Saini said.
Al Malah said the summer program would include lectures about Palestinian history held by teachers, as well as workshops on kite-making, art projects and sports activities.
“We saw that the community really needed this kind of space,” she said. Al Malah defended the use of the image to promote the program, saying it was historical photograph of Palestinian resistance fighters.
“It’s ironic that students who used a symbolic photo are being repressed while our [university] administration is being allowed to invest in real weapons,” Al Malah said.
Last month, a Quebec judge denied an injunction request from McGill, saying the university had failed to demonstrate an urgent need to dismantle the camp. The university is now seeking an interlocutory order to evict the protesters, but the case has not yet been heard.
McGill has also requested help from police. But on Monday, Montreal police said the encampment is a civil dispute and they don’t yet have a legal basis to intervene.
Al Malah said the rejection of the two injunction requests proves the encampment is peaceful.
As pro-Palestinian encampments pop up on university campuses across Canada, there’s a renewed focus on freedom of expression.