Deep Saini

McGill will only tolerate peaceful and time limited protests:Saini

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

McGill will only tolerate peaceful protests on campus going forward, and not situations like the pro-Palestinian encampment that was on the university grounds from April 27 to July 10, McGill president Deep Saini said Aug. 28.

The encampment was cleared by a private company hired by McGill while the SPVM, as well as the SQ, surrounded the area around the campus.

Saini was interviewed at a virtual Zoom town hall by Mount Royal MP Anthony Housefather, who is also the Prime Minister’s Special Advisor on Jewish Community Relations and Antisemitism. Hundreds of people listened in.

Saini said McGill’s actions during the encampment were not perfect, “but did we handle it as well as we could have under the circumstances, I think more or less, yes. The rear view mirror is always very instructive….We are working without a playbook, we’re learning from every experience, and saying ‘how do we do the next thing better?’”

Housefather then asked if there will be enhanced security at McGill this semester, and what will the university do to ensure people feel safer and not have to hear antisemitic chants and have incidents like an effigy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hanging from the Roddick gates or the occupation of a university building and terrorizing its occupants, as took place.

Saini replied that if there is a peaceful protest on campus “that is not also engaging in targeted hate against a particular community or individual, and it’s an expression of your political opinion, by all means, do that.

“But a protest has a time limit on it. You can’t say ‘I’m going to set up an encampment and that’s my form of protest,’ or ‘I’m going to take over a building.’ Time limited, specified subject in a specified place, you express your views and you move on and you have a debate.”

Housefather said, “and not carrying symbols of terrorist organizations, not chanting things that a terrorist organization would chant.”

Saini replied that “once you cross the line, then we have multiple levels of security now — I don’t want to go into the details of it — but what we have put in place is that depending on the nature of an offence, we will deploy security. We have our own security, we have access to additional help from outside and we have a better understanding with the Montreal police — of what the Montreal police can and cannot do.”

Saini said he feels “we have all the right steps in place that give us the best, at this moment, tools to deal with a disruption.”

Housefather also asked about alleged “abuse of podium” situations in which professor expresses his or her view of the Israel-Hamas war in a class where the subject is not relevant, or where students feel uncomfortable if they take a position contrary to that of the educator.

Saini replied that this past Aug, 22, a note was sent to all faculty and staff “laying out the rules of engagement going forward.

“They include a clear message to our faculty of what is permissible under academic freedom and freedom of speech, and what constitutes abuse of podium, particularly when you’re in a position of power. Nobody would be allowed to abuse their position or podium to make a statement projecting their own beliefs to the people.” n

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McGill contracts private security firm to dismantle pro-Palestine encampment

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

McGill hires private security firm to dismantle pro-Palestine encampment. Courtesy Cheï Lévesque

Maria Cholakova,
Local Journalism Initiative

Dozens of students and advocates call out McGill and its allies for the demolition

On July 10, after more than 70 days since its establishment, McGill University’s pro-Palestine encampment was dismantled by a private security firm hired by the university.

The private security firm entered the encampment early in the morning and began its demolition. Bulldozers and trucks entered McGill’s campus. Additionally, a large number of police officers—some wearing riot gear—were seen by campers on site on horseback and bicycles as early as 4:45 a.m.

Between 4:46 a.m. and 7:42 a.m., individuals in the encampment were “advised three times that they would be escorted off campus if they did not leave of their own accord,” according to McGill’s Emergency Operations Centre. The majority of the 35 campers present were escorted out. 

The university’s campus was shut down for the day and blocked off by police.

At 1:15 p.m., McGill’s Emergency Operations Centre announced that the encampment’s dismantlement was largely completed. 

According to Montreal police media relations officer Jean-Pierre Brabant, the police were present only for support and made one arrest of a man for assaulting a police officer. 

Concordia professor Ted Rutland said the police’s presence should not be overlooked. 

“McGill has managed to negotiate […] a side agreement with the police because the police role here is essential. I don’t think the security firm would be doing [the dismantlement] without police protection,” said Rutland. “The idea that the police aren’t involved in this is misleading. They are here, they are enabling this.”

In a press statement, McGill’s President and Vice-Chancellor Deep Saini stated that the “camp was not a peaceful protest. It was a heavily fortified focal point for intimidation and violence, organized largely by individuals who are not part of our university community.”

Saini alleged that a firm the university hired to investigate the encampment discovered two overdoses, syringes, illegal narcotics being sold, rat infestations and fire risks, including a propane canister and flammable materials next to the tents.

Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) McGill has denied claims about the presence of illegal drugs at the encampment, claiming that the university is leading a defamation campaign against its own students.

“In their statement, McGill mischaracterizes the camp and has utilized photos of syringes that are present on the public street of Sherbrooke and pretended it was inside the camp,” SPHR McGill’s official spokesperson said.

The university’s decision to dismantle the camp via a private firm has come under fire from protesters and organizers.

SPHR McGill said the university has never had the well-being of students in mind. 

“Instead of moving money from companies that are actively facilitating war and occupation and genocide, the administration has taken every drastic measure to repress the movement for liberation,” SPHR McGill’s official spokesperson said. 

The group also accused the university of cutting off all electricity from the campus at night, along with dragging students into legal battles and accusing the encampment of violence.

Sam, a camper who preferred to use a pseudonym for safety reasons, alleged they were forcefully escorted from the encampment with no warning by the private security firm. 

“Our struggle to get McGill to divest from genocide, from the brutal massacre of Palestinians [shows] that [McGill] is scared and is resorting to violence,” Sam said.

Sam added that the university’s actions have given clarity to students on the university’s priorities, stating that violence is their “modus operandi.” 

Rutland said that McGill’s hiring of a private security company shows McGills intent. 

“The depravity of sending a bulldozer, the same bulldozers that are destroying Palestinian homes, the symbolism of that is going to last a while,” said Rutland. “What does this university stand for? It stands for genocide.”

According to Zeyad Abisaab, SPHR Concordia’s general coordinator, the removal of the encampment will not stop the organization’s work. 

“The students are determined and motivated that they will not stop fighting for a just cause,” said Abisaab “Demanding McGill, Concordia and all universities to divest from genocide, divest from the state of Israel, from the Zionist entity as a whole and specifically weapons companies.”

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McGill encampment dismantled after more than two months

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

The anti-Israel encampment at McGill University was taken down last week after more than two months, a period that included violent and intimidating actions by the protesters, unsanitary conditions, an attempt at negotiating by McGill and legal attempts by McGill and Spiegel Sohmer senior partner Neil Oberman to move the encampment out.

The City of Montreal recently dismantled the encampment at Victoria Square. In McGill’s case, a private security firm was hired to do the actual dismantling, while the SPVM and some SQ officers surrounded the area around the campus. The University of Ottawa encampment was dismantled the same day.

A McGill alert that day said, “as members of the McGill community are aware, the university has been subject to ongoing and escalating acts of violence and vandalism associated with the encampment, up to and including criminal acts on campus last weekend (smashed windows and assault on a guard),” a McGill alert said. “The encampment is the site of profound health and safety risks that continue to grow in scope and severity. To protect the security of the McGill community and the integrity of our property, the encampment on the lower field of the downtown campus is being dismantled.”

At the scene itself, Sherbrooke Street westward from University was blocked off by police, and anti-Israel protesters stood on Sherbrooke, calling the police fascists and Zionists terrorists, and promising Intifada, while the dismantling proceeded on the campus.

On Thursday night, protesters and police clashed physically at Phillips Square, one of many frequent anti-Israel protest sites. SPVM officers dispersed pepper spray and tear gas and projectiles were thrown at police. One 22-year-old man was arrested for obstruction of police action and assaulting an officer. The individual was released pending a court appearance.

McGill president Deep Saini stated last week why the last straw was broken.

“People linked to the camp have harassed our community members, engaged in antisemitic intimidation, damaged and destroyed McGill property, forcefully occupied a building, clashed with police, and committed acts of assault,” he stated last week. “They also hosted a ‘revolutionary youth summer program’ advertised with images of masked individuals holding assault rifles. The risks emanating from the camp have been escalating, steadily and dangerously.”

Saini further stated that other factors leading to the dismantling were that, “two drug overdoses occurred in the camp since July 6. Syringes [were] visible, and illegal narcotics have been sold there. The camp is infested with rats. There are fire risks, including a propane canister and flammable materials next to the tents.” n

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Anti-Hate coalition says McGill should BDS Hamas, Iran links

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

The United Against Hate Canada coalition wrote to McGill president Deep Saini in reaction to the university’s recent announcement that it was proposing to negotiate some of the demands of those involved with the more than two-month long anti-Israel encampment on the campus grounds.

The pro-Palestinian activists referred to McGill’s proposals as “laughable.” McGill stopped negotiating in mid-June.

Marvin Rotrand of United Against Hate Canada told The Suburban his group is questioning “McGill’s weak kneed response to anti-Israel protests and its supine attitude in the face of increasingly maximalist demands from a relative small, masked and totally unrepresentative group of protesters, many of whom are likely not McGill students.

“Rather than considering acceding to protesters’ shameful demands and offering amnesties, we are calling on the university to do the following — boycott, divest and sanction all nations, businesses and institutions that fund Hamas as well as cutting ties with all industries and academic institutions that have links with the Islamic Republic of Iran and its proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and other terrorist entities,” Rotrand added. n

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