Recent developments in Montreal’s Gaza Solidarity Encampments — Metropolis

Hello/Goodbye Lines segment host Savanna Craig discusses her reporting from the three encampments in Montreal. She discusses the UQAM encampment, which has closed since the last Metropolis episode aired, as the UQAM administration and campers reached an agreement to end the encampment.

She also addresses recent developments at the McGill encampment. The encampment recently unveiled the Summer Youth Program, which is a free program inviting community members to learn Arabic, the history of Palestinian resistance against colonialism, the Nakba and more. The photo used to promote the program included an image of Palestinians wearing a keffiyeh with one of them holding a rifle. This photo caused outrage online from politicians and others, with Immigration Minister Marc Miller tweeting that this was inciting hate. McGill also put out a statement via email, with McGill president Deep Saini saying this was “alarming”. Campers reaffirm that this photo represents history and resistance in the diaspora and believe that these politicians are worried about a historical photo instead of Canada’s involvement with arming Israel.

McGill University’s injunction seeking to dismantle the McGill Gaza Solidarity Encampment is still in court, with the process expected to take more than a year. Craig addresses how many media outlets inaccurately reported information on the injunction and clarifies the process of this injunction. A provisional injunction McGill put forward in the courts was not accepted by the Quebec Superior Court, siding with the encampment. Now the injunction is at the interlocutory stage and once this ruling is made, it will move towards the final injunction, which is the permanent injunction.

The newest encampment, Al-Soumoud encampment, was set up this past weekend. Metropolis Host Kalden Dhatsenpa and Craig discuss how the location of this encampment was used for another encampment in 2011.