McGill University says it will stop negotiations with pro-Palestinian protesters who are camped out on the downtown Montreal campus.
President and vice-chancellor Deep Saini said in a June 18 statement that the university will be taking disciplinary action against those in the encampment.
Mr. Saini said it is clear that talks with the protesters are not going anywhere.
“Despite our ongoing efforts to discuss in good faith, the representatives of the encampment have maintained that their demands are non-negotiable while accusing the University of unwillingness to engage in fair discussions,” he wrote. “As it has become clear that no fruitful outcome will result from these talks, we are ceasing discussions.”
A spokesperson for one of the groups involved in the encampment, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights, told media gathered at the McGill encampment that students won’t be moved.
Rama Al Malah called the university an “unwilling partner” in the negotiations. She said encampment organizers reached out to McGill on June 14 but did not get a response.
In the university statement, Mr. Saini said McGill is still considering divestment options from companies that earn revenue from the production of military weapons “regardless of the countries in which they operate.” The school, which already discloses investments over $500,000, will also try to include smaller investment amounts, he said.
McGill has also agreed to establish two scholarships for students affected by the Middle East crisis.
“This effort will occur within the framework of the Scholars-at-Risk Network, of which McGill has been a part since 2010,” the statement said. “SAR provides urgent support for students and academics threatened by armed conflict or humanitarian emergencies.”
‘Illegal Occupation’
Mr. Saini said the encampment was unauthorized and an “illegal occupation of McGill property.”He noted “alarming” behaviours have included the harassment and intimidation of students, staff, and faculty as well as a photo that was circulated on social media showing masked individuals holding assault rifles and calling for participation in a revolutionary youth summer program.
The statement also mentioned the “forceful entry” and illegal occupation of the James administration building.
On June 6, Montreal police used tear gas on demonstrators who occupied the main administration building. Fifteen people were arrested in the incident after demonstrators barricaded themselves on the third floor in what they called a “global call to action.”
Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights McGill said in a social media post the occupation was a bid to “escalate for Rafah,” an international call in response to Israel’s offensive on the southern Gaza city.
The university said protesters had blocked several entry doors with chains and furniture, vandalized the exterior and interior of the building, and damaged furniture in a room where they had barricaded themselves.
About 100 demonstrators also gathered in front of the building, a few hundred metres from the main encampment.
The June 18 statement by Mr. Saini noted demonstrators from the encampment had hung a political figure’s effigy at the Roddick Gates, as well as used “provocative” rhetoric, signage, and graffiti at the encampment and throughout the campus. Mr. Saini acknowledged the messages were “often experienced as antisemitic.”
He noted that the behaviours have escalated and resulted in costs for McGill and disruptions, such as the relocation of the university convocation.
“As our proposal was rejected, the University will pursue disciplinary processes against individuals participating in the encampment to the full extent outlined in our policies,” he wrote, adding legal recourses are being considered.
The Canadian Press and Jennifer Cowan contributed to this article.
