Inside the Student Encampments Challenging University Investments in Israel

 

Since April, student encampments have sprung up on campuses across North America and beyond in protest against Israel's genocide in Palestine. Despite opposition from administrations and politicians, students are demanding that universities divest from and cut ties with Israeli institutions. The North Star went to see activists in camps across the country to better understand the situation.

The Canadian movement, which began at McGill University in Montreal, has spread to many other campuses around the country. As of June 9, various encampments have been forcibly or voluntarily dismantled, including at the Université du Québec à Montréal, the University of Calgary, McMaster University, Laval University, and Ontario Tech.

Meanwhile, negotiations between student protesters and the administration at universities including McGill, the University of British Columbia (UBC), the University of Toronto, the University of Sherbrooke, the University of Guelph, Memorial University and the University of Victoria are at a standstill as the threat of police intervention to dismantle the camp looms in the background.

While the encampments have not been exempt from controversy, that controversy is sometimes overestimated by the mainstream media. According to a Léger poll conducted in early May, 48% of the Canadian population was against the encampments, 31% were in favour of them, and 21% were undecided. Forty-five percent of 18-to-34-year-olds were in favour, marking a significant generational difference. An Angus Reid poll of June 3 seems to confirm these results.  (more...)

Inside the Student Encampments Challenging University Investments in Israel