Pro-Palestinian encampment: McGill community told to avoid Roddick Gates Thursday due to planned protests

On the sixth day of the encampment in support of Gaza at McGill University’s downtown campus, two protests took place on the school’s grounds: one in support of the demonstration and one against it.

People came out to the campus’ lower field for what they called an emergency protest in front of the encampment to show their support for it.

Amid the two protests, something not seen since Saturday, Montreal police officers were out here to secure the perimeter they say and created a barricade between them.

Late Thursday afternoon, police said the events unfolded peacefully and orderly. No arrests were made or tickets issued. No citizens or police officers were injured. Police are remaining vigilant in the area, they say, to ensure safety.

McGill said they alerted their community to avoid using the main road between the Roddick Gates entrance and the Y-intersection below the Arts Building.

“There is no hatred, there is only love here,” said Zeyat Abisaab, Concordia University student and encampment participant. “We have people from all different ages and backgrounds and faiths.”

A few steps away, just outside the university’s historic Roddick Gates, members of the Jewish community came out to counter it.

“If they want to have a dialogue and have a peaceful communication and protest in a peaceful manner, we’re open to that. As Jews, we are always open to debating different opinions. We’re always open to a diversity of views. But we need to draw the line at hate,” says Jamie Fabian, McGill Law student and pro-Israel demonstrator.

On Wednesday, several Jewish groups announced that they were planning a protest at McGill’s Roddick Gates at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday demanding the university “enforce its policies.”

Shortly after that announcement, two pro-Palestinian groups, SPHR Concordia and SPHR McGill, took to social media and called for an emergency protest to be held at the university’s lower field on Thursday at 11:30 a.m.

They asked for people to help protect the encampment that’s been set up since Saturday to support Gaza and demand that McGill and Concordia divest from companies they claim have ties to Israel.

“We must show up in numbers to demonstrate that no amount of repression or intimidation can deter us from our fight for justice,” the post reads.

Premier François Legault is calling for the dismantling of encampment. “I expect the police to dismantle these encampments, which are illegal, and that’s what McGill has asked for,” he said at a press briefing Thursday morning from Quebec City. “I’ll let the police decide when and how, but the encampments must be dismantled.”

Montreal Mayor, Valérie Plante took to social media Thursday afternoon saying, “the right to express oneself and demonstrate is fundamental, but it is absolutely necessary to preserve the peaceful character of Montreal. The SPVM is present in the McGill University sector to enforce this principle.”

The post on social media platform X continues, “Our metropolis values ​​peace, listening and inclusion. In Montreal, it is possible to express yourself while respecting rights and laws. We must all defend these common values.”

Le droit de s’exprimer et de manifester est fondamental, mais il faut absolument préserver le caractère pacifique de Montréal. Le @SPVM est présent dans le secteur de l’Université McGill pour faire respecter ce principe.

Notre métropole valorise la paix, l’écoute et…

— Valérie Plante (@Val_Plante) May 2, 2024

“We are here to support of these brave students,” said Rabbi Dovid Feldman of Neturei Karta International at McGill on Thursday. “This is bravery is to be admired.”

“This bravery should be a lesson for the rest of Canada,” he added. “For the rest of your humanity, for the rest of the world to speak up and stop crimes which are taking place.”

“We support this movement we support the Palestinian movement, not because we are anti-Semitic, not because we anti-Jewish, because we are Jewish because we follow our religion, which condemn all of this,” said Dovid Fledman.

“We are concerned the Palestinian people, we are concerned for the Jewish people as well.”

The two planned protests took place right across from each other.

“We are concerned for our people,” said Feldman. “As much as we ask your concern for your humanity.”

Call for calm

The Canadian Muslim Forum (FMC-CMF) and Table de concertation de la communauté musulmane du Québec (TCCMQ) issued a statement on Wednesday evening saying they have been in continued communication with various stakeholders “to maintain the peacefulness of the students’ movement and avoid any unwanted developments.”

In the face of the counter-protest, both groups call on the encampment participants “not to be drawn into the actions and reactions and to immediately report and communicate with the police forces present at the place if the protesters are exposed to threats and to leave matters to the competent authorities.”

The FMC-CMF says they want the administration of McGill University and the student movement to meet and speak directly about the demands of the protesters.

McGill University offers to hold forum

In a letter to McGill students Wednesday, the university’s president says it made an offer to the lawyers retained by certain students.

“If members of the McGill community in the encampment permanently leave the encampment immediately, I commit to holding a forum with members of the McGill community to discuss your various demands and any contrary views in a peaceful, respectful, and civilized manner,” McGill president and vice-chancelor Deep Saini wrote.

“I felt it was important to let McGillians as a whole know the proposal we had offered to them.”

Saini said all non-McGill students must leave the university grounds immediately.

Injunction request rejected

A Quebec judge rejected a request for an injunction to stop the protest at McGill on Wednesday after two students at the university had asked Quebec Superior Court to order protesters to move at least 100 metres from school buildings, saying their presence had created an environment of aggression and left them feeling unsafe.

Justice Chantal Masse ruled Wednesday that the students failed to demonstrate that their access to the school was being blocked or that they would be unable to write their final exams. She also took into account statements from the protesters who argued that such an order would have a “chilling effect” on their right to free speech.

-With files from The Canadian Press