A pro-Palestinian encampment was built on UQAM land in downtown Montreal on Sunday afternoon, just two days after McGill University filed an injunction aimed at destroying the encampment built on its land.
• Also read: McGill calls for end to pro-Palestinian occupation of its campus
The new camp is located on land on the Pierre-Dansereau science campus of the University of Quebec at Montreal (UQAM), near the Place-des-Arts in downtown Montreal.
About ten tents were set up in a barricaded encampment between University of Montreal buildings.
Many banners and blankets of all kinds have been placed on the fences erected by the protesters, preventing passersby from seeing what is happening on the ground.
However, about a hundred people demonstrated in front of the camp in the afternoon in support of the dozens of people inside.
There were many Palestinian flags in front of the new camp at UQAM.
Photo agency QMI, Mario Beauregard
Residents of the camp, named “Al-Aqsa People’s University” in honor of one of the universities destroyed in Gaza since the beginning of the war, demand the withdrawal of an injunction filed on Friday against encroachment on their land by McGill University .
Since 26 April, about a hundred protesters have pitched their tents on the institute’s grounds at the corner of Sherbrooke and McGill streets, a few kilometers from UQAM’s new camp.
“We refuse any judicialization of the Palestinian conflict. Students have the right to demonstrate, the right to fight. The university is also built for that,” says a spokeswoman for the Solidarity for Palestinian human rights group at UQAM, who introduces herself as Leila Khaled.
However, the UQAM administration indicated that “although the rally was called by a group that identifies itself with UQAM, it is not recognized by the university.”
The Montreal City Police Department indicates that it is aware of the situation, but has not received any requests from UQAM at this time.
other demands
The group also demands “the adoption of an academic boycott order against all Israeli universities.” We believe they are colluding actors,” explains the spokesperson, who studies anthropology at UQAM.
Leila Khaled, spokesperson for the Solidarity for Palestinian human rights group at UQAM
Photo agency QMI, Mario Beauregard
Although the group’s spokesperson was unable to state whether the university currently had ties to Israeli establishments, he condemned UQAM’s “ambiguity” on the matter.
The UQAM Foundation “has no investments in weapons, as it adopted a responsible investment policy several years ago, and [l’Université] It has no mobility agreement or framework agreement with Israeli universities,” however, university spokesperson Jenny DesRochers indicated.
The Ukamian group also seeks to end the Quebec office in Tel Aviv, which opened its doors last February.
UQAM therefore becomes the 11th Canadian university to erect a pro-Palestinian camp on its campus.