Activists who have been occupying part of the campus at Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) since mid-May are expected to dismantle their encampment within the next week.
Demonstrators say they are satisfied with a resolution adopted Wednesday by the university’s board of directors concerning the situation between the Palestinian people and Israel.
The group, l’Université populaire Al-Aqsa de l’UQAM (UPA-UQAM) says the resolution adopted by UQAM’s board of directors is a “historic victory.”
“Through our occupation and our courage, we have proved that it is possible to establish a balance of power and achieve significant gains,” said Leila Khaled, a UQAM student and UPA-UQAM spokesperson, on Thursday. “With this historic demonstration, we are sending a clear message to the administrations of other universities. If you want to see an end to the encampments, you must take courageous action to cease all complicity with the Zionist state and its genocidal acts against the Palestinian people.”
At a special meeting on Wednesday, UQAM board members unanimously adopted a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
The university also pledged to “ensure that none of its current or future academic agreements, including those with Israeli universities” conflict with certain principles, including a firm commitment to peace and respect for international humanitarian law.
The resolution, which was proposed by UQAM Rector Stéphane Pallage, also calls on the Fondation de l’UQAM to ensure that it has no direct investments in funds or companies that profit from armament.
Since May 12, pro-Palestinian demonstrators have been camping out in the courtyard of the Complexe des sciences Pierre-Dansereau, following in the footsteps of similar rallies held on campuses elsewhere in Canada and the United States.
Participants in the encampment were demanding that UQAM break its ties with Israeli institutions and reveal the extent of these relationships.
In a press release, UPA-UQAM stated that it intends to “remove its encampment no later than June 6, 2024, following the adoption of concrete guidelines for the implementation of the academic boycott by the Studies Commission on June 4.”
The group specified that “our departure does not mean the end of our mobilization.”
“This political victory should serve as a springboard for further UPA demands,” said Khaled.
The activists are also instructing the Quebec government to “take note of the ongoing genocide and cut its ties with the Israeli state, starting by urgently abolishing the Quebec office in Tel Aviv.”
For its part, UQAM assured that its foundation has “no investment in armaments,” nor does it have “mobility or framework agreements with Israeli universities.”
Earlier this week, a Superior Court judge granted UQAM a provisional injunction forcing the protesters to make several changes, including keeping the camp two metres away from university buildings and making sure doors, windows and surveillance cameras remain unblocked.
The protesters had argued that these changes amounted to “disguised” dismantling.
Under the terms of the resolution adopted on Wednesday, UQAM said it would also facilitate and set aside a budget to receive Palestinian academics and students.
— This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 30, 2024.