Politicians call for end to McGill encampment after ad for ‘revolutionary lessons’

“The encampment was a violation of McGill rules from Day 1,” Liberal MP Anthony Housefather says.

Published Jun 15, 2024 • Last updated 27 minutes ago • 3 minute read

An Instagram post advertising a “summer youth program” posted by @SPHRMcGill on June 12, 2024. Photo by @SPHRMcGill /Instagram

Federal and provincial politicians are calling on the Montreal police to “enforce the law” and dismantle the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University after a “youth summer program” promising to teach Montreal youth “revolutionary lessons” on the campus appeared on Instagram this week.

“The encampment was a violation of McGill rules from Day 1,” Liberal MP Anthony Housefather, who represents Mount Royal riding, wrote on his account on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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“McGill has asked the police to take action and I support its request. It is time for @SPVM to enforce the law. This is incitement. This is glorification of violence. This is hate.”

Le campement était une violation des règles de @mcgillu du jour 1. McGill a demandé à la police d’agir et j’appuie sa demande. Il est temps que @spvm fasse respecter la loi. C’est de l’incitation. C’est de la glorification de la violence. C’est de la haine. https://t.co/qSMY2Afd6H

— Anthony Housefather (@AHousefather) June 14, 2024

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The post advertising the “youth summer program,” which appeared on the Instagram account of the McGill chapter of Students in Solidarity with Palestinian Rights (SPHRmcgill) on Wednesday, features a photograph of six young people sitting on the ground reading, most wearing the black and white kaffiyehs that represent the Palestinian liberation movement. Two of the people in the photo appear to be holding rifles.

The program, according to the post, is to begin on June 17 at McGill campus lower field.

Quebec Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry, a member of the Coalition Avenir Québec government, also called for the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill to be dismantled.

“Very disturbing and even alarming,” Déry wrote on X under a re-post of the poster for the “youth summer program.”

“The situation is getting worse and it has to stop. Freedom of expression is one thing, but here we are talking about provocation, explicit incitement to violence, even indoctrination. I repeat: this encampment must be dismantled.”

Très troublant et même alarmant. La situation s’envenime et il faut que ça cesse. La liberté d’expression, c’est une chose, mais là on parle de provocation, d’incitation explicite à la violence, voir même d’endoctrinement. Je le répète: ce campement doit être démantelé. @mcgillu pic.twitter.com/g21BrzWMis

— Pascale Déry (@PascaleDery) June 14, 2024

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Quebec Liberal MNA Elisabeth Prass said in a message on X that the police have a “responsibility” to act.

“This is absolutely reprehensible and has no place in a peaceful society like ours,” her message said.

“Teaching and spewing hate can never be tolerated; this is not peacefully protesting. (McGill) has repeatedly asked the @SPVM to remove the encampment on its campus and the police have a responsibility to act and end this now.”

This is absolutely reprehensible and has no place in a peaceful society like ours. Teaching and spewing hate can never be tolerated; this is not peacefully protesting. @mcgillu has repeatedly asked the @SPVM to remove the encampment on its campus and the police have a… https://t.co/9zKLE7GfxZ

— Elisabeth Prass (@elisabethprass) June 14, 2024

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The Montreal police did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday morning.

Federal Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre also condemned the “youth summer program” on his X account.

“This glorification of the genocidal terrorism of Hamas is an abomination,” he wrote in a message with a repost of the poster for the “summer youth camp.”

“Antisemitism has become a plague on Canadian university campuses. Shut it down.”

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McGill University president and vice-chancellor Deep Saini issued a statement Friday to the McGill community, saying he had “grave concerns” about the Instagram post that advertised the “youth summer program.”

Saini said in his statement that he flagged the ad “and other recent activities” to public safety authorities “as matters of national security.” He also said he requested “all appropriate interventions to ensure the safety of our community.”

Henry Topas, the Quebec regional director for B’nai Brith Canada, has called the post advertising the summer program “appalling.”

Federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller also denounced the Instagram post, saying on X: “Enough is enough, this is hate speech and incitement to hate, pure and simple! Freedom of expression and the right to protest have their reasonable limits and they have been reached. De-escalation at McGill has clearly failed. This needs to end!”

Miller’s message was posted along with the image advertising the “youth summer program.”

Enough is enough, this is hate speech and incitement to hate, pure and simple!
Freedom of expression and the right to protest have their resonable limits and they have been reached. De-escalation at McGill has clearly failed. This needs to end! @SPVM @mcgillu pic.twitter.com/u9RYOGSE7f

— Marc Miller ᐅᑭᒫᐃᐧᐅᓃᐸᐄᐧᐤᐃᔨᐣ (@MarcMillerVM) June 14, 2024

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