Pro-Palestinian Encampment Set Up in UQAM in Montreal

A second pro-Palestinian encampment was established by Montreal university students, this time at a Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) campus.

Tents began to be set up near the science building in downtown Montreal on Sunday afternoon, a day prior to the court hearing on the injunction request filed by McGill University to dismantle the encampment on its lawn.

This initiative coincides with the upcoming 76th anniversary of Israel’s declaration of independence, known as the Nakba, or “catastrophe” in Arabic, by Palestinian students and their supporters from all races. The encampment had around 40 people present by Sunday afternoon.

The group responsible for the encampment, Solidarité pour les droits Humains des Palestiniennes et Palestiniens (SDHPP-UQAM) that currently has over 3,300 followers on Facebook, is calling for the withdrawal of McGill’s injunction request, an academic boycott against Israel in all Quebec universities, the public disclosure of UQAM’s collaborations and links with Israel, complete divestment from companies associated with Israel, and the closure of the Quebec-Israel office.

“We, students from various universities and CEGEPs, refuse to remain silent in the face of these colonial crimes!!” is the message that SDHPP-UQAM posted in its Facebook group. The activists also noted that they welcome supplies and hot meals.

In recent days, Israel has intensified its military operations in Rafah, a southern city in Gaza, which is considered the last refuge for over a million civilians. Approximately 300,000 individuals have evacuated the city following Israel’s evacuation orders, as it aims to invade to dismantle Hamas and rescue around 100 hostages taken on October 7. The retaliatory strikes by Israel have resulted in the deaths of over 43,000 Palestinians.