Following anti-Semitic protests on university campuses in the United States, several universities in Canada have seen pro-Palestinian activists setting up camps to protest on campus grounds. In Montreal, McGill University has requested police assistance to clear the encampment on campus.
On Tuesday morning, McGill University President Deep Saini sent an email to all staff members stating that, after unsuccessful negotiations with the students, they had requested police assistance to clear the protest camp.
Saini remarked, “This was not an easy decision.” The night before, McGill issued a statement saying that they had followed procedures for demonstrations, protests, and occupations, including efforts to de-escalate the situation before involving police assistance.
Since last Saturday, pro-Palestinian protesters have set up tents on the lawns of McGill University. The protesters come from various universities in Montreal, including McGill University and Concordia University.
Similar to the protests on American university campuses, the camping students demand the universities sever ties with Israeli companies in response to the ongoing Gaza-Israel conflict.
McGill University declared the protest encampment illegal and condemned the protesters for occupying the campus for anti-Semitic behavior.
The students denied that their actions were anti-Semitic, stating that they would not leave until their demands were met.
A spokesperson for the Montreal police said on Tuesday that they had received McGill University’s request and were evaluating various possible actions while advocating for a peaceful resolution.
Quebec’s Minister of Higher Education, Pascale Déry, expressed concern last Sunday about the situation on campuses and stated that she did not want to see things deteriorate.