On October 7, 2024, Montreal City Police Service officers used pepper spray to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters at Concordia University and McGill University.
In the early morning, several student groups from Concordia and McGill universities organized a large campus-wide walkout to protest Israel’s military action in Gaza and to demand the administration disclose its investments and end all ties with Israeli institutions.
The demonstration began with speeches by students in front of the Hall Building at Concordia University. After nearly an hour, the students peacefully marched towards McGill, which had preemptively restricted campus access to only current students and faculty. When the protesters reached McGill, several individuals managed to bypass security and enter the campus. A group of protesters marched towards the construction site of a new Institute of Sports Science, being built with funds from a $29 million donation from Sylvan Adams, an Israeli-Canadian businessman who seeks to promote Israel through sports. The new Institute is planned to engage in collaboration with another sports center based in Tel Aviv, Israel. Upon arriving at the construction site, protesters threw paint-filled balloons at the building’s facade and broke several windows. Immediately after, several dozen police officers, clad in riot gear, used pepper spray to disperse the crowd. No arrests were made.
Scholars at Risk is concerned about the destruction of campus property in the course of a student protest and about use of force to disperse students exercising their rights to freedom of expression—conduct that is expressly protected by international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. While state authorities have the responsibility to maintain order and prevent disruption, they must refrain from the disproportionate use of force and endangerment of civilians. Additionally, students and members of the public must refrain from violence and destruction, especially on campus. Such actions, beyond harming the immediate victims, have a chilling effect on academic freedom and undermine democratic society generally.
Sources:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DA11H9vMpS3/
https://theconcordian.com/2024/10/pro-palestinian-oct-7-walkout-ends-in-mass-tear-gassing/
https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/grand-montreal/2024-10-07/un-an-apres-le-7-octobre/des-manifestations-propalestiniennes-a-montreal.php
https://pivot.quebec/2024/10/08/en-images-des-etudiant%C2%B7es-montrealais%C2%B7es-sortent-de-classe-pour-la-palestine/