McGill requests 'police assistance' over pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University says it has "requested police assistance" about the pro-Palestinian encampment on its lower field.
"We informed participants that this encampment was not authorized and gave them time to gather their belongings and leave the premises," McGill said Tuesday. "However, most have chosen to remain. As we worked through the steps, we also engaged in dialogue with representatives of McGill students."
The university says it failed to reach a resolution with the student demonstrators and "decided to take the final step in our protocol."
The scene did not appear to be tense Tuesday morning while CTV reporters were on the ground.
"If McGill wants to find solutions to divest, they can. They're not wanting to. They're not having a dialogue right now and if they want to, there's always solutions to be had and I'm sure folks here would be more than happy for McGill to start moving on divestment," said one protester.
In an email addressed to the McGill community Tuesday morning, McGill President Deep Saini called the encampment a "difficult and complex situation.
"Having to resort to police authority is a gut-wrenching decision for any university president. It is, by no means, a decision that I take lightly or quickly. In the present circumstances, however, I judged it necessary," he wrote.
Saini said the school requested police assistance late Monday afternoon.
In its statement, McGill went on to say, "the safety and wellbeing of all our students and staff is our paramount concern."
Lawyer Neil Oberman has filed an injunction on behalf of students, arguing that they need a safe place to study during exams. A judge is expected to decide on the injunction Wednesday.
Michelle Hartman, a McGill professor who teaches Arabic literature at the Institute of Islamic Studies, said she's concerned about any possible police involvement.
"Whenever we involve police, it's a concern. I don't see a lot of escalation, I see a peaceful protest full of people. But why should we even think that we have to be peaceful when there is a horrific genocide unfolding? In fact, the main escalation is threatening to call the police on students. Why would we call the police on students? To me, that's really the escalation. It's not a de-escalation to call the cops on your students, is what I'm saying," she said.
This comes after demonstrators started camping out on the school's grounds last weekend to demand the university divest from funds they claim are connected to Israel.
They say they want McGill to divest from Israeli companies it says are "complicit in the occupation of Palestine."
They say they also want the school to cut academic ties with Israeli institutions and denounce Israel's offensive in Gaza that followed the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. The Israeli offensive has led to more than 34,000 Palestinian deaths, according to the local health ministry.
The encampment in Montreal is one of a wave of similar protests across university campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Hackers release corporate data stolen from London Drugs
Retailer London Drugs says cybercriminals who stole files from its corporate head office last month have released some of the data after it refused to pay a ransom.
Toronto man falls off his chair after seeing $70M Lotto Max win in his bank account
A Toronto man who won $70 million in a recent Lotto Max draw literally fell off his chair when he saw the funds in his bank account.
Montreal-area high school students protest 'sexist' dress code
Approximately 50 Montreal-area students — the vast majority of them female — were suspended Wednesday after their school deemed the shorts they were wearing were too short. On Thursday, several students staged a walk-out to protest what they believe is a "sexist" dress code that unfairly targets girls.
Oilers' Henrique, Stars' Hintz out for Game 1 of West final
Top-line Dallas Stars centre Roope Hintz will still be out of the lineup for the Western Conference Final opener Thursday night against Edmonton, which is still without forward Adam Henrique.
'Looking over our shoulders': A killing looms large in a little B.C. town
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished. It used to be the sort of place where parents let their kids roam free or play in the local creek, but everything has changed.
What is 'slapped cheek disease' and should parents be concerned?
Despite its rough name, experts say most cases of 'slapped cheek disease' are mild and not a cause for concern.
American Airlines retreats after blaming a 9-year-old for not seeing a hidden camera in a lavatory
American Airlines has distanced itself from a court filing in which the carrier said a nine-year-old girl should have noticed there was a camera taped to the seat of an airplane lavatory.
Unknown Newfoundland soldier from the First World War heads back home from France after 100 years
Canadian soldiers and government officials arrived in northeastern France this week for a historic mission: returning an unknown Newfoundland soldier back home.
Calgary Philharmonic takes action following investigation into 'deeply troubling' comments by 2 musicians
The Calgary Philharmonic has confirmed its taking action after controversial online comments made by two members of the orchestra.