Prime Minister François Legault on Thursday asked the Montreal Police Service (SPVM) to dismantle the pro-Palestine encampment at McGill University.
“It’s an illegal encampment. […] The law must be respected. So I expect the police to clear out these camps, which are illegal. And that’s what McGill asked,” he told reporters.
The Prime Minister stressed that a judgment rendered Wednesday by the Superior Court attests to the illegality of the encampment in support of the Gazan people. Judge Chantal Masse emphasized that the demonstrators were “illegally” occupying McGill land by camping there. She nevertheless considered that there was no urgent need to act to dismantle the protesters’ installations.
“If you read the decision, it clearly says it’s illegal. It is clear to me that it is illegal and we must respect the law,” argued Mr. Legault.
He left it to the SPVM to choose the moment to intervene. “I will let the police decide how and when they do this, but the camps must be dismantled,” he insisted. The SPVM has so far said “evaluate possible avenues for the future, advocating a peaceful outcome”.
The Prime Minister stressed that he understood the concerns of the demonstrators. “We are all worried about what is happening in Gaza, I can understand. People can express themselves in demonstrations, they are legal, permitted,” he stressed.
“It’s illegal to have a camp on private land and McGill said they don’t want it,” he then qualified, in a response in English.
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