Montreal Mayor says they are monitoring pro-Palestinian encampment at Square Victoria

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante said the city and local authorities are monitoring the pro-Palestinian encampment set up at Square Victoria in downtown Montreal.

The encampment entered its fifth day on Wednesday.

Plante said it’s difficult to balance people’s rights to protest and the city’s property rights.

“To speak out, to create such a space like that is one way. There could be other ways, right? We’ve seen the protest walks for months and months,” explained Plante. “To speak out about how people feel, they want a solution, so that I understand. But then again, vandalism or bullying like what we’ve seen with a journalist to me is not acceptable.”

Montreal police (SPVM) have only intervened after some protesters tried to topple the Queen Victoria statue on Monday, and they were also present on Tuesday during a counter-protest.

The mayor said the SPVM are watching to make sure nothing gets out of hand.

“The SPVM is on it. Like they’ve been there watching, they’re making sure that is being done in a proper way and any type of anti-Semitism or Islamophobia or discrimination is not accepted in Montreal.”

This is the first pro-Palestinian encampment set up on a city public space.

There was one previously set up at UQAM, but it was taken down earlier this month.

However, another encampment has been in set up at McGill University since the end of April.

“We’ve been dealing with the one at McGill campus. It’s not easy because we’re working with a legal frame, right? We’re still waiting for some of the decisions coming from the court. I think people are really stressed,” concluded Plante.