Wednesday, July 24, 2024

Why Did Divestment Negotiations at McGill Fail?

 

Canada McGill University student activism protest encampment administration police private security crackdown intimidation coercion threats bad faith foot dragging stalling

While the McGill administration has painted the encampment’s demands as unreasonable, pro-Palestinian protesters are adamant that more can be done to make divestment happen faster.

On July 10 at 4:30 a.m., protesters at the pro-Palestinian encampment on McGill campus woke up to a wall of riot cops and private security officers hired by McGill administration surrounding the entire perimeter of the school.  

Over the course of 10 hours, the officers worked to get protesters out of the area and dismantle the encampment. An encampment member who was present throughout the day said the officers were using intimidation tactics to coerce the protesters and the students into leaving the camp, like threatening to arrest them.

“The private security officers had a canine unit, and they kept telling the protesters at the camp that if they did not leave, they would get arrested. And they also told the protesters that things will get violent if they do not leave,” said the SPHR spokesperson who wished to remain anonymous. 

The grounds where the encampment stood for over two months were reduced to a pile of wooden pallets, banners and signs on the ground, and tents ripped apart. 

After an incident like this, it would be hard to believe that the McGill administration intends to meet the demands of the encampment, or to divest from Israeli companies that are fueling the genocide happening in Gaza. Yet, a member of the McGill administration says the divestment process is underway.

But places like McGill work like molasses, explains the administration member who wished to remain anonymous.  (more...)

Why Did Divestment Negotiations at McGill Fail?


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