Pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill | High tensions between the police and pro-Palestinian demonstrators

(Montreal) Confrontations between demonstrators and police were heated Thursday evening on the campus of McGill University and its surroundings, while pro-Palestinian demonstrators had barricaded themselves for nearly two hours in the pavilion of the James administration.

Dozens of demonstrators gathered in the pouring rain outside the building in support of those who had barricaded themselves. The tension then gradually increased, pushing the SPVM to use irritant gas and charge the crowd.

The group of students barricaded themselves in response to the Israeli army’s escalating military strikes in Rafah and McGill University’s refusal to respond to queries regarding its ties to the State of Israel.

This event was part of the #Escalate4Rafah global appeal which aims to increase mobilization in support of the Palestinian people.

“The students occupied and blocked the James administration pavilion in protest against the current escalation in Rafah and the genocide taking place in Gaza,” said Sandra* who also came to demonstrate.

She explains that the students had “no choice” to take these “exceptional measures” in the face of McGill’s refusal to respond to the demands of residents of the encampment on the McGill campus.

Zeyad is part of the Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights group at Concordia University. Like many demonstrators, he responded to the call launched on the networks to come and support the barricaded students.

“The student and world spirit will never stop as long as the University is complicit,” he said. Complicity with genocide will never be normalized. »

The students then wanted to occupy the building as long as the university did not financially dissociate itself from the Israeli state. Several police officers were then dispatched to the scene at the request of McGill University.

“We will not stop”

The demonstrators then played cat and mouse with the police on campus before taking over the surrounding streets as far as Saint-Laurent Boulevard. Pyrotechnics were also fired at the police.

“As long as our administration does not listen to us, we will not stop,” explains Jay*, who came to demonstrate on campus. We will stay all night if necessary to protect the students. [barricadés]. »

“The students see that there is an escalation in Rafah, so it can only start to escalate here too,” adds Jay*. As long as we see violence escalating and bombs falling with impunity, we will become more and more passionate about the cause. »

The McGill administration reacted following the intrusion of students into one of the buildings.

“Protesters are currently occupying the main administration building, located on the downtown campus of McGill University,” McGill said. Law enforcement as well as the University security service are on site. »

According to the SPVM, demonstrators were still on campus late in the evening. He then tried to “collaborate” with the last demonstrators on the scene.

*These people requested anonymity for fear of reprisals