A tense week ahead

“What do you have to say about the universities that were all bombed in Gaza? »

Camera in hand, a young man calls out to the rector of McGill, Deep Saini, as he leaves a speech to students.

Two security guards keep him at a distance while he follows him across campus. “I’m a student!” I want to talk to you! », he says.

Suddenly, the tone rises. “Come back to me when you speak to me like a civilized individual!” », Retorts the rector to the student, just before a guard intervenes between the two.

The video¹posted on social media a few days before the start of the school year, illustrates the tensions rising on the downtown campus.

To the point where the rector, “particularly visible target for protesters” according to the administration, is now escorted by a security agent on certain trips.

The University announced Wednesday that it would restrict access to its campus on October 7, fearing excesses on the occasion of the first anniversary of the conflict between Hamas and Israel.

The majority of courses will have to be given online, and only students and university employees will have access to the campus, which will be closed to the public.

Before this announcement, the week was already shaping up to be eventful: demonstrations were planned for Saturday in front of the gates of McGill and Concordia in protest “to the genocide which killed more than 40,000 martyrs.”

On social media, the leading pro-Palestinian student organization invited its community to join it in what it dubbed “Week of Rage.”

Reacting to the post, Jewish student organizations urged universities “to ensure the safety of their students.”

The Press met pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli students, who say they are the target of harassment, even threats, from one side or the other.

“Everyone needs to calm down,” implores Claire Frankel, a Jewish student at McGill. “Everything is so tense right now. I understand, it’s war. But we all suffer, whatever side we are on. »

Increased security

A golden light bathes the McGill campus. No trace remains of the pro-Palestinian camp, dismantled at the beginning of the summer. Only freshly laid grass, where the tents were set up.

“Since we returned to campus, there has been twice as much security, twice as much staff. We feel like we are constantly being watched,” says Ali.

The student, who was among the encampment’s first participants, asked that his last name not be written, fearing disciplinary action.

The Press met him, with two other students, one bright September afternoon, in a cafe near McGill.

On campus, numerous security guards, including two stationed in front of the main entrance, are making their rounds.

In addition to having its own security personnel, the English-speaking university recently hired agents from external firms to provide increased surveillance “in all four corners” of its campus.

On the eve of October 7, McGill stressed that it was not aware of any threat to the physical safety of members of its community. However, she wishes to avoid excesses on her campus “during this very delicate period”, she indicated in a notice sent to the media.

Banned organizations

Since this fall, the main student organization behind the pro-Palestinian encampment has been removed from the list of student clubs at McGill and Concordia.

Founded more than 20 years ago, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights has been lobbying in recent months for administrations to cut all financial and academic ties with Israel.

However, the two universities revoked its status as a student club, ruling that it did not respect their regulations: it can no longer receive funding or use their premises.

A tactic aimed at “stifling pro-Palestinian voices”, believes Nadia, who asked that a pseudonym be used for fear of reprisals.

“It didn’t work. We continue to organize rallies, demonstrations. We continue to wear our keffiyehs,” underlines the student.

McGill University accuses the organization in particular of having made threats against members of its community, in addition to having occupied and damaged its property. By email, she argues that her exclusion “marks an important step toward creating an environment conducive to the success and well-being of the student population.”

Regulations

Jewish student at Concordia, Jacqueline Stren planned that she would not go to her classes the week of October 7.

She is not the only one: her Jewish studies professors are debating the possibility of teaching their classes online that week, fearing being targeted by pro-Palestinian demonstrators, she says.

A Concordia professor who wishes to remain anonymous also confirmed to us that students warned her that they would not come to class.

The day we met, a pro-Palestinian demonstration broke out in the Concordia lobby.

In the middle of the afternoon, a message on the intercom informed students that the campus was closed until further notice.

“My friends were there. Everyone was panicking,” says the student, replacing her Star of David pendant.

A few days later, another pro-Palestinian demonstration occurred near Concordia, during which windows were smashed and incendiary objects were thrown at police officers.

Four people were arrested, then released at the end of the event, which was denounced on social networks by the Minister of Higher Education, Pascale Déry, and the Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel.

Concordia recently highlighted a code of conduct on its site listing prohibited behaviors.

Among them: the ban on camping on your land, using flag bearers indoors or even chanting certain songs.

“In order to avoid the creation of a climate of intimidation or harassment, the use of chants and slogans targeting identifiable groups within our community during demonstrations is prohibited,” we write.

Harassed to class

In recent months, the organization Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights renamed itself Students for Palestine Honor and Resistance.

“Defending human rights in a genocide seems to be a lost cause. What human rights are we talking about? », says Zeyad Abisaab.

During the encampment, he was one of the few pro-Palestinian students who agreed to be named in the media.

The harassment follows him to class: Ali shows us a message that a student sent him on the school platform Moodle.

“I think you appear in this documentary at 4:20,” he wrote to her, with a link to a report on the rise of anti-Semitism in Canada.

“I don’t want to let them win”

Since October 7, Jacqueline Stren says she has been called a “Zionazi [contraction de sioniste et nazi] more times” than she can count.

She thought about changing universities: she took the steps last spring, before deciding to stay at Concordia. “I don’t want to let them win,” she said.

Claire Frankel, who knew victims of the Hamas attack on October 7, said that “a woman spat in her face” during a gathering at McGill for the hostages in Gaza in April.

“We feel more and more anxious that something potentially violent will happen. »

1. Watch the video (in English)