Protesters from the pro-Palestinian camp set up on the McGill University campus are determined to stay after the Supreme Court rejected an injunction barring them from demonstrating.
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“It's great, the laws stand with the social movements. This reaffirms what we are here for, which is to demand a free Palestine,” said Sasha Robson, a McGill University student who has been camping out since Saturday.
“We intend to stay as long as McGill does not withdraw its investments linked to Israel,” added Leila Khaled, a Palestinian student who has also been protesting day and night since day one.
The Supreme Court had just ruled that the camp could not be dismantled by judicial order.
The injunction was denied
“The application for an injunction is rejected due to the lack of evidence of a state of emergency,” we can read in the decision of Judge Chantal Massey, issued on Wednesday in a Montreal court.
The court thus responded to the request of two students, who requested an injunction to prevent pro-Palestinian activists from demonstrating within 100 meters of any building at the English-speaking university. Given the location of the camp, this would effectively dismantle it.
The Taliban accuses the demonstrators of creating a “dangerous, hostile and violent” atmosphere.
Niall Clapham Ricardo, who came to support the camp on Wednesday, responded: “I am very pleased that the judge found that this camp is not anti-Semitic.”
Alert
The Montreal Police Department indicated on the social media network X that it would analyze the content of the issued decision. “We continue to evaluate possible ways forward, and call for a peaceful outcome,” the statement read.
McGill University did not respond to our requests on Wednesday. On Tuesday, she requested help from the police to force her to dismantle the camp.
“We are on alert all day and night,” said Ari Nachman, a member of Independent Jewish Voices at Concordia University.
The reaction of the demonstrators will depend on the nature of potential police intervention. Ari Nachman, the official spokesman for the demonstrators, explained: “We will see if there are three of them, if they come with the administration for dialogue or with tear gas bombs.”
The latter demand that their universities sever all ties with companies and institutions that benefit the army and the State of Israel.
A similar encampment at UCSF led to a major confrontation between protesters and police on Wednesday.
