Pro-Palestinian protesters set up encampment at McGill University

Montreal students inspired by a Gaza solidarity movement at campuses in the United States erected an encampment on the grounds of McGill University Saturday.

The students began setting up tents near the iconic Roddick Gates – off Sherbrooke Street – by early afternoon.

In videos shared widely on social media, the protesters could be seen waving Palestinian flags and joining hands to form a circle around their tents. They chanted “Free Palestine.”

Student protests over the Israel-Hamas war began popping up on major U.S. campuses last week following the arrest of more than 100 demonstrators at Columbia University in New York.

The students are calling for universities to separate themselves from any companies that are advancing Israel’s military efforts in Gaza — and in some cases from Israel itself.

–With files from The Associated Press