Pro-Palestinian protesters on grounds at McGill University say they are better organized and prepared than ever as the encampment enters its second week of activity.
Posted at 4:43 p.m.
Updated at 7:22 p.m.
Morgan Lowrie and Ritika Dubey
The Canadian Press
Ari Nahman, who camps there, says the encampment has become a “little town” with dozens of waterproof tents, a library, supplies and makeshift wooden sidewalks to keep the mud at bay.
According to this Concordia University student, morale is good at the camp, despite several days of rain which transformed the field into a “mud skating rink”.
“I think we are much better equipped and prepared today to face the different weather conditions. We are positive, morale is good,” he said.
Camp members dug a shallow trench Sunday to shed heavy rain, while others set up a “free store” in a tent to serve hot coffee, food and rain-proof clothing. the rain.
The protesters received so many donations that they were able to give some to homeless shelters.
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Protesters hold a banner reading: “Jews against genocide. Liberate Palestine. “.
Opponents of the encampments said the protests were illegal and made some Jewish students feel unsafe. McGill University and Prime Minister François Legault asked the police to dismantle the Montreal encampments.
Mr. Nahman, a member of Independent Jewish Voices Canada, says the campers won’t leave until universities agree to divest from companies they say support Israel’s actions against the Palestinians.
He noted that the McGill protesters are carefully watching what’s happening in the United States, where some groups have made deals with their universities and others have been confronted by police.
Counter-protesters in Toronto
Pro-Palestinian activists have also set up encampments at the University of Toronto, the University of Ottawa and the Vancouver campus of the University of British Columbia. A similar wave is taking place on campuses across the United States.
On Sunday, dozens of counter-protesters from the Jewish Defense League gathered near the Toronto encampment waving Israeli flags. Campus security officers stood between the two groups to ensure a peaceful protest.
PHOTO COLE BURSTON, REUTERS
A man holds an Israeli flag in front of the pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Toronto.
Mohammad Yassin, a University of Toronto student and one of the camp’s spokespeople, said allegations that protesters were hateful or violent were “contrary to reality.”
People walk with their pets and children. There are people drawing, reading books, and forming prayer circles, and that’s exactly what this space is supposed to be.
Mohammad Yassin, student at the University of Toronto and one of the camp’s spokespersons
In his opinion, the protesters have everything they need to continue their encampment, including food, water, toilets, a library and a medical tent staffed by trained staff. There are also community and prayer spaces as well as a ‘care tent’ to provide quiet time or support for people with mental health issues. In addition, members of the local community have mobilized to provide three meals a day.
“We plan for the long term,” he said. We understand that this will be a long fight. The university will not hear our demands if we stay here one day and then disappear. »
Protesters at the camp are demanding that universities disclose all their investments and stop pumping money into companies they say support Israel’s actions against the Palestinians. They also want the establishments to cut their ties with Israeli institutions.
