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McGill University announced Wednesday morning that its downtown campus is closed as it proceeds with the dismantling of the pro-Palestinian encampment that has been set up on it grounds since April 27.
The university’s message to staff and students came as pro-Palestinian protesters took to social media Wednesday morning to call for support when appeared the dismantling was imminent.
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Instagram posts by the Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights McGill called for supporters to show up at the Roddick Gates on Sherbrooke St. in front of the encampment coincided with reports that a private security firm hired by the university had read an eviction notice to the protesters at the camp, which has been on campus ground since April 27.
Images from the scene also showed Montreal police on bicycles and on foot deployed by the Roddick Gates.
The university said it was proceeding with the dismantling because the encampment represented “profound health and safety risks that continue to grow in scope and severity” and contended that the university had been “subject to ongoing and escalating acts of violence and vandalism associated with the encampment, up to and including criminal acts on campus last weekend.”
Wednesday’s dismantling operation comes less than 12 hours after about a dozen pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted a meeting of the Ville-Marie borough council, forcing the evacuation of Mayor Valérie Plante and her fellow councillors as a precaution. There were no arrests reported in connection with that incident.
The encampment was set up April 27 as protesters called upon the university to end its investments in businesses that profited from Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip as well as end all affiliations with Israeli universities.
Two attempts to obtain injunctions forcing the dismantling of the encampment were rejected by Quebec Superior Court.
On June 6, protesters entered the James Administration building at the downtown campus and Montreal police made 15 arrests.
Other protest encampments in Quebec were dismantled after agreements were reached with the universities involved. Last week, a protest encampment erected on public property in Victoria Square was dismantled by Montreal police.
This story will be updated.
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