McGill

McGill encampment dismantled after more than two months

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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

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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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Pro-Palestinians blockade McGill official’s NDG home

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By Beryl Wajsman, Editor
The Suburban

Several dozen Pro-Palestinian demonstrators blockaded the home of McGill Associate Provost for Equity Angela Campbell in NDG Sunday. They set up a tent with posters and Palestinian flags and shouted intimidating screeds through bullhorns in the quiet residential area. They included some aimed directly at Campbell telling her that she “can’t hide” and accusing her of being complicit in the what they describe as a genocide.

The police closed off streets around Monkland but according to neighbours speaking on condition of anonymity said they would not intervene as long as it remained a “peaceful” protest. SPVM spokesperson Cst.Caroline Chevrefils confirmed the details of the events to The Suburban.The demonstration broke up after three hours.

Regarding the incident at Campbell’s home, McGill stated, “McGill condemns this absolutely unacceptable behaviour. Targeting people and their families at their residence crosses the line from peaceful protest to intimidation and harassment.”

McGill still has not yet signed a trespass complaint with the police against the encampment but will be back in court seeking a permanent injunction to remove the encampment on the grounds that McGill is the owner of the property the encampment is occupying. Its temporary injunction request was denied last week because of what the court said was a failure to demonstrate “urgency.”

McGill’s new injunction demand would have the protesters barred from “camping or occupying in any manner whatsoever” as well as from protesting in any way that is in violation of university policy on its downtown campus. The order would also authorize bailiffs tasked with serving the judgment to “call upon any peace officer to assist them.” n

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Oberman testifies at Commons Committee on antisemitism

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By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Lawyer Neil Oberman, the senior partner at Spiegel Sohmer who has succeeded in obtaining six injunctions to move anti-Israel protests 50 metres from Jewish community institutions, testified last week in Ottawa at the House of Commons Justice Committee regarding the antisemitism that is rampant in Canada, particularly on many university campuses.

Oberman has also served legal warnings on McGill and Concordia demanding action be taken by them to deal with antisemitism on campus. “As a lawyer and a supporter of my community, I think the need for this committee in 2024 goes to show how some of our Canadian values have deteriorated,” Oberman told the committee. “I want to express my concern with the rise in antisemitism that has been documented by various organizations and agencies. Antisemitism is not a thing of the past, but a present and growing threat to our society [and is] not only a problem for Jewish people, but for everyone who values human rights, democracy, and pluralism.”

Oberman also told the committee that “many members of our community have experienced intimidation, hate, bullying and aggression because they are Jewish. When people yell out ‘From the river to the sea’ and ‘intifada,’ all it does is create an atmosphere of aggression towards an identifiable community, which knows exactly what it is supposed to mean.”

The lawyer said numerous examples of antisemitism have been brought to his attention, including a “student being beaten in elementary school by classmates for not supporting Palestine, and when the teacher witnesses it, she encourages the beating; antisemitic student newspapers on campus promoting hatred by propagating tropes; antisemitic graffiti on campuses; a Concordia University group attacking students for being Jewish”, the protests and blockades leading to a need for an injunction to protect local Jewish community institutions “a Jewish teacher being targeted for having a friend who used to be in the IDF and then being subject to a protest outside of her school while she was teaching and a change.org petition for her employer to fire her,” and “Jewish students being harassed by teachers on CEGEP campuses to donate money to organizations that promote hatred.”

Oberman said intimidation on university campuses, CEGEPs and other academic institutions “is in my view the most serious matter facing our community today. “The young people of our community are part of the future and are currently being targeted because they are Jewish. When you discourage, intimidate, bully, and instill fear in a student, you in effect break their morale and impact their ability to want to stay in the community and grow with the community for the future. There is still hope, there is still a bright future, but we must collaborate as one to ensure that hatred does not overcome our Canadian values.” n

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