Pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill | Alexandre Leduc warns the SPVM against a “major dismantling operation”

(Quebec) Quebec Solidaire MP Alexandre Leduc warns the City of Montreal Police Service against a “major operation” to dismantle the pro-Palestinian encampment set up on the campus of McGill University in Montreal.

The member for Hochelaga-Maisonneuve fears a repeat of the dismantling of the Notre-Dame camp, which took place in 2020.

“I was horrified by the way it ended, with a completely disproportionate, completely savage police intervention, with helicopters, with horses, then surrounding the camp at 5 a.m. It was completely mind-blowing, it was like an almost war zone, there, it was crazy, and I absolutely do not want to see that again,” he told journalists on Wednesday.

” I hope [que les policiers] remember these lessons, and that this is not what is being prepared for McGill. I think people have the right to demonstrate, they chose to make a camp,” he added. He says he “trusts” that the SPVM has learned “lessons” from this episode which he considers disgraceful.

Create a dialogue

Mr. Leduc believes that a “good police service with a community policing approach would meet people” and “create a dialogue.”

“The people who make this camp are well aware, I imagine that it will not be forever, but, after that, I hope that they are not preparing a big operation,” said Mr. Leduc.

He believes that the Legault government, which has already described the pro-Palestinian encampment as “illegal” and which is playing at “being the judge instead of the judge” should instead “stop the operation of the office [du Québec] in Tel Aviv” to send a signal of appeasement to the demonstrators.

Déry behind McGill

The Minister of Higher Education, Pascale Déry, for her part reiterated her support for McGill, which “made the right decision” by requesting the intervention of the police forces to dismantle the pro-Palestinian encampment. “The internal policy of the establishment was not respected, so it is an unauthorized camp. Now, the police have been informed of all this, we will monitor the situation very closely. »

The day before, she went further by calling the camp “illegal”. “Freedom of expression is a fundamental right. Everyone supports that. There is no one who will tell you otherwise. Now, we are talking about a camp that is erected on installations, on private property,” she said.

For her part, liberal Jennifer Maccarone affirmed that she had “passed by” the pro-Palestinian encampment and that she “saw nothing with my own eyes that was a lack of respect or violence”.

“But I also understand McGill’s point of view in wanting to protect the rights of all students who attend the university as well […]… Each demonstration should be done in peace, with respect for everyone. If things get out of hand and we have comments, hatred and then intimidation, we have to act,” she said.

It’s up to the courts to decide, says St-Pierre Plamondon

PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon believes that it is not up to elected officials, but to the courts to decide whether or not it is legal for demonstrators to set up a camp in front of McGill University.

“I think it is up to the courts to rule on a fairly classic question. Everyone recognizes freedom of expression, the freedom to associate, to gather, but does this freedom of expression also imply the right to establish a camp, to occupy places in violation of the university rules? A priori, I think not, but it is up to a court of law to decide, it is up to a judge to decide,” he said.

Since Saturday, around a hundred students have camped on the university grounds, demanding that the administration cut all ties – financial and professional – with Israel.

With Léa Carrier, The Press