Updated: Protesters tired, morale high at McGill encampment

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A noon-hour gathering to support pro-Palestinian protesters on the McGill University campus had at its core a message: There are people dying half a world away, but students here can make a difference.

The encampment on the McGill grounds was in its seventh day Friday. On a small stage in front of the encampment set up with a microphone and speakers, several professors from both McGill and Concordia, along with local artists, spoke, read poems and performed music in support of the protesters. About 100 people attended, inside and outside the enclosure.

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The atmosphere was a 180-degree turnaround from the tension of Thursday, with its concerns of potential violence from duelling demonstrations. Montreal police said that while they are maintaining order and public safety, they are doing so “while maintaining rights and freedoms.”

Miyada Elsabbagh, an associate professor in McGill’s faculty of medicine, delivered on Friday what she called a “love letter to the solidarity movement.”

She said anti-Palestinian racism is behind the McGill administration’s “false narrative that you are all fringe elements on campus who support terror.”

“This is the representation that Palestinians have had for decades now. This anti-Palestinian racism is why many Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims feel that they need to hide their identity, why their identity is politicized, and why many are not here with you today, fearing deportation or worse,” she said. “It is the reason the ICJ (International Court of Justice) can say ‘genocide’ loud and clear but our esteemed university says nothing. It is the reason why your reasonable demands for over a decade now have been met with suppression and intimidation.”

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Elsabbagh praised the diversity of the pro-Palestinian movement, its skill in non-violent resistance, its courage and determination in the face of intimidation and threat.

Yassin “Narcy” Alsalman, a musician who teaches hip hop in Concordia’s fine arts department, told the crowd that he feels a responsibility to stand with the students in the encampment.

“Our responsibility as professors … is our students. It’s not the institution. It’s the students who come into the hallways of this place who are going to go out into the world and change it,” he said. “If there’s a group of students standing here in solidarity with the injustices that are occurring around the world, we have to stand with them.”

He said the core of the issue is “we are witnessing 40,000 people dying on the internet in 200 days … It doesn’t matter where they’re from or who they are. At some point, we have to all stand with our humanity and it shouldn’t be about identity or belonging or religion. It’s about humans. That’s why I’m here.”

The McGill encampment, which has about 100 tents, is surrounded by a makeshift enclosure covered with banners with such slogans such “UQAM pour la Palestine” and “You are Funding Genocide.”

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Ali Salman, who identified himself as a spokesperson for the encampment, said Friday that the campers are a little tired but morale is high. They are confident they can stay as long as it takes to affect change. The administration’s offer a few days ago — to speak to the campers if the encampment is dismantled — is a sign the campers are making some progress, he said.

“We have seen that McGill has tried to take a step toward fulfilling” the campers demands, said Salman, who is a Concordia political science student. “They have said, ‘Dismantle the camp and we’ll talk.’ This is not something concrete or a guarantee for us. But this step from McGill gave us confidence that we can achieve more.‘”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau weighed in Friday, saying universities have to be trusted to manage their campuses as pro-Palestinian student protesters set up encampments at several institutions across Canada.

For his part, Salman has not been spending the night at the camp, although he has been there morning to night since the start. He said the campers have no intention of leaving soon. “Regardless of what the premier or anybody has to say, we are here to stay as long as we can until we have our demands met.”

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He said most of the 100 or so tents are still occupied.

Salman said Concordia students decided to join forces with McGill students for this action, because of McGill’s prominence in Canada and McGill’s history, although he acknowledged that most Canadian universities have investments that the campers argue support the actions of the Israeli government.

“We have seen that historically McGill has actually funded apartheid in South Africa, they have funded the genocide of the Indigenous population here, they have been on the wrong side of history pretty much their whole history. So we are here to change this. We are here to demand that they divest from something that is wrong, which is the genocide that is happening in Gaza,” he said. “We are asking McGill and of course Concordia … to divest from (companies) that support this genocide.”

McGill students went about their business Friday morning, mostly ignoring the camp, which is on the lawn west of the main Roddick Gates entrance off Sherbrooke St.

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“We are not blocking anyone from going in and out of the university,” Salman said. “There is nothing hostile being done. We even have a kids’ play zone from 4 to 6 (p.m.) for parents to bring their kids to play — if only the weather would cooperate.”

Krista Lynes, a Concordia professor in communications studies, said she has come to the camp daily to support the students and their cause. She said the university has shown an “incredible reticence to opening up a real dialogue about their disclosure, their divestment, the defence of the students, and a declaration about the war and the genocide that is happening now.”

She said she has not heard any hate speech at the camp.

“Antisemitism should be condemned in all of its forms … and I think all of the people in the camp would agree with that. The position of the campers is anti-racist and anti-imperialist. There are a lot of Jewish students and professors who are supporting the campers and who believe the positions they are taking are not antisemitic but are against the war and the genocide that is happening right now.”

Lynes said it is reasonable for students to expect universities to divest from funds that support war.

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“The role of a university is not a stock company, is not a financial investment firm. We are (institutes) of higher learning. We are engaged in ideas and it’s important that the university disclose what companies they are investing in. And if they are investing in companies that are responsible for war, for military equipment, then that runs against their mandate … Students have the right to know which companies those are and to ask for divestment from companies that are engaged in Israel, that participate directly in the war, in bombing universities in Gaza, and cultural institutions and hospitals and other spaces that civilians live and work in in Gaza.”

Ruby Belson, a Concordia student and Jewish Montrealer at the camp Friday morning, let campers know she and other supporters raised $1,000 through a GoFundMe campaign to support the camp. She said the money was raised in seven hours on Thursday. The campaign is no longer open because, she said, it is unknown how long the camp will remain and the fund is to provide necessities only.

Belson is among several Jewish people who have joined the camp or visit regularly to provide material and moral support. She said there are others in the Jewish community who are concerned with what is happening in Gaza but are reticent to speak out.

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“I am so proud to be a Jewish person, (but) I am not proud of what is going on in our communities in terms of political and social justice,” Belson said. “I do think that there are a lot of people who are afraid to speak out, people in my own family, people I know as friends, because when you are a community and when you go against the grain, you can be isolated.”

She said she and her friends have been providing things campers have requested, such as hand warmers, rain gear, N-95 masks and hot food.

Friday morning’s calm followed tense hours on Thursday during which pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel supporters held competing demonstrations in front the encampment, separated by a line of uniformed police on foot and horseback. There were no clashes between the groups and by 4 p.m. most of the demonstrators had left.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Quebec Premier François Legault called on Montreal police to dismantle the “illegal” encampment. The premier’s comments drew no direct reply from police officials, though the Montreal force did take the unusual step of issuing of statement Thursday evening that explained its ground rules for dealing with the encampment.

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Saying it is aware of a decision by a Superior Court justice not to grant an injunction that would have forced the protesters to leave and that it is “closely following” the legal debate surrounding the occupation, the police force said it is maintaining contact with McGill and the protesters and is following the “evolution of the situation.”

“Let’s remember that the role of police in such a situation is to maintain the peace, good order and public safety while respecting rights and freedoms.”

The protesters are calling on McGill to divest from its investments in Israel. The university has replied that it is ready to discuss the issue, but only after the encampment has been dismantled.

mlalonde@postmedia.com

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