As the pro-Palestinian encampment protest in front of McGill University enters its fifth day, a Quebec Superior Court judge is expected to rule on a request to forbid people from gathering near the university’s buildings.
Protesters, who began gathering last Saturday, have said they are determined to stay put until the university divests from companies with business interests in Israel.
At the Montreal courthouse on Tuesday, Judge Chantal Massé heard arguments from the legal team representing two students who are hoping to see a provisional injunction against the encampment.
The plaintiffs called for five pro-Palestinian groups to be prevented from taking protest actions within 100 metres of McGill property.
The plaintiffs allege in their court filing that the groups have “created an environment of hate on campus,” which they say has made them uncomfortable to attend classes and exams. They also allege they have faced harassment and intimidation from the defendants.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
On Tuesday, McGill shared a video with CBC News that it said included antisemitic remarks. The video lists McGill University as its location and includes protesters chanting “all the Zionists are racist, all the Zionists are the terrorists,” as well as “go back to Europe.”
The video provided to CBC News contains the text “20 Jihadists against one Jewish Israeli student being told to go back to Europe.”
CBC News has not independently verified the video’s source, nor if the people in the video are part of the encampment. The video is one of 27 included in the injunction request on behalf of the two McGill students.
McGill says the video is the subject of an internal investigation.
The encampment at McGill is one of dozens at universities across North America. On Tuesday night, NYPD officers stormed a Columbia University building that had been occupied by protesters, making dozens of arrests.
On Tuesday, McGill also announced it had asked the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) to provide assistance because university officials “failed to reach a resolution” with protesters.
On several occasions since the encampment began, the SPVM has said the protest was peaceful.
On Wednesday morning, the police service told Radio-Canada that no crimes were being committed at the encampment and that it was waiting for the judge’s ruling on the injunction request before determining next steps.
