McGill requests ‘police assistance’ to remove pro-Palestinian encampment on campus

On the fourth day of a pro-Palestinian encampment on the lower field of McGill University, the school said it called police to dismantle the site and two students went to court to suspend protests at the downtown campus.

On Tuesday, a day before summer session classes were scheduled to begin, dozens of tents remained pitched on the muddy ground of McGill’s lower field, enclosed by metal fencing erected by the protesters. Banners on the fence carried messages such as, “You are funding genocide.”

In an emailed statement, McGill said it asked for police assistance after failing to persuade the protesters to end what the school has called an illegal action. “Police representatives, who have expertise in skilfully resolving situations such as these, have now started their own process,” the university said.

Montreal police spokeswoman Véronique Dubuc said the force has received McGill’s request to dismantle the encampment and is evaluating “different avenues” to respond.

The encampment, which was erected on Saturday, follows a wave of similar protests on campuses across the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war. Pro-Palestinian protesters have also set up an encampment at the University of British Columbia’s Point Grey Campus.

Activists at McGill say they have no intention of dismantling their tents until the school, as well as nearby Concordia University, divests from all companies that protesters claim are “profiting from genocide.” The encampment is near the campus gates and does not block access to university buildings.

Meanwhile, a lawyer representing two McGill students argued in Quebec Superior Court on Tuesday for an injunction to stop the protests. Neil Oberman told Justice Chantal Masse his clients “want to go to