Protesters try to topple statue near pro-Palestinian encampment at Montreal’s Victoria Square

Protesters nearby a pro-Palestinian encampment at Montreal’s Victoria Square attempted to tear down the Queen Victoria statue Monday night.

Police were called to intervene in the area late Monday, just three days after the encampment was set up.

A spokesperson for the SPVM said police officers aimed to stop the demolition of the statue and did not attempt to dismantle the tents at the square.

“We stand in solidarity with all anti-colonial struggle,” said Benoît Allard, a member of the Divest for Palestine Collective.

He added: “While Queen Victoria was ruling, she oversaw some of the most horrendous violations and crimes throughout the world. […] We should ask the question ‘why are we promoting such figures?’”

Participants of the encampment, which is the first in a public space in Montreal, are demanding that the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), Quebec’s pension fund, cuts ties with Israeli institutions it accuses of being “complicit” in the continuing war between Israel and Hamas.

The group is also calling for Quebec’s Tel Aviv office to be shut down because it says increasing trade and diplomatic relations with Israel “legitimizes the genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.”

“All hospitals in Gaza are in crisis. Many of them have been bombed by Israel using our money and this is unacceptable,” said Scott Weinstein of Independent Jewish Voices.

Organizers of the encampment met with media representatives during a press conference on Tuesday morning.

In a news release, the “Divest for Palestine collective” calls on the CDPQ to “immediately divest its $14.2 billion investments in 87 companies complicit in the Israeli occupation.”

“We’re here now again, in this encampment, having to take things in our own hands,” said Sabine Friesinger after speaking out against what she believed was an injustice as a Concordia student roughly 20 years ago.

There is currently a pro-Palestinian encampment set up at McGill University, which has been in place since April 27, aiming to get McGill to divest in companies they say are tied to Israel. The group says they express “unconditional solidarity with their struggle.”

“This fight does not stop at current investments, but also at any future complicity with Israel,” the press release stated. “To this end, we also demand that the CDPQ establish a transparent control process to guarantee respect of human rights and international law.”

In a statement to CityNews, Kate Monfette, media relations director at CDPQ says they are “disturbed by the ongoing conflict and we take these issues very seriously” and are “not making any new investments in a war zone until further notice.”

She says the CDPQ’s direct exposure to Israel “represents less than 0.1 per cent of our portfolio.”

Monfette specifies that they have over $5 billion in companies like WSP and Alstom. “Alstom has assured us that it has no ongoing activities within or in relation to Israeli settlements in the disputed Palestinian territories and has formally requested to be removed from the United Nations list; and WSP holds a contract inherited from an acquisition which aims to ensure quality control of a transport project.”

For other investments into multinationals like Expedia, Airbnb or Alphabet (Google), Monfette says, “we expect them to adhere to the highest standards wherever they operate.”

Adding, “CDPQ ensures at all times that it complies with its legal obligations and international standards in all jurisdictions where it operates.”