Pro-Palestinian protesters who have set up camp at Montreal’s McGill University say they are no closer to taking down their tents after meeting with members of the school’s administration.
Spokespeople for the camp held a news conference after the meeting and said the university did not provide a clear timeline or process for meeting their demands.
Protesters are demanding that the university divest from companies they say are “complicit in the Israeli occupation of Palestine” and cut ties with Israeli institutions.
Protesters fenced off an area containing dozens of tents on McGill’s lower field on April 27, following a wave of similar protests on college campuses across the United States.
The spokespeople, who described themselves as members of Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights McGill and Independent Jewish Voices McGill, say protesters plan to maintain and expand their encampment until their demands are met.
McGill said Monday night that he remains in contact with some people at the university participating in the encampment as he seeks a “timely and peaceful” end to the protest.
“We are listening to them and seeking to explore paths toward a meaningful resolution that adheres to our own mission and institutional principles,” the university said in a statement. “We are not going to comment on the substance of those discussions.”
Last week, McGill president Deep Saini offered to hold “a forum with members of the McGill community” to discuss their demands, but only if they took down the tents.
Representatives from SPHR McGill and Independent Jewish Voices, who declined to identify themselves because they said they feared harassment or retaliation from the university, said Monday’s meeting came after students presented a list of clear demands.
“This press conference follows a meeting with McGill administrators in which they had committed to presenting a concrete proposal to the coalition, but were unable to come back with a concrete process and a clear timeline,” said SPHR member McGill, that she described herself. as a Palestinian student.
The student said the protesters are “steadfast and determined to sustain and expand this encampment until our demands are met,” adding that they are open to continuing dialogue with the school.
Camp members were joined at the news conference by members of the Mohawk Mothers, who are from Kahnawake Mohawk territory, as well as support teachers.
Daniel Schwartz, an assistant professor of Russian and German cinemas at McGill, spoke on behalf of what he said was a growing number of professors who oppose Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza.
“As McGill professors, we strongly oppose our university administration’s relentless campaign against students who are working to stop the genocide in Palestine and to advocate for justice by ending the occupation,” he said.
The press conference was held shortly after Hamas announced that it had accepted a ceasefire proposal between Egypt and Qatar. But students protesting at the camp said their news conference was unrelated, adding that their demands are about divestment and not a ceasefire.