New barricades have been installed around the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University, where a face-to-face meeting is expected on Thursday with pro-Israeli activists.
Wooden pallets, picnic tables: the camp has been considerably fortified in recent hours, noted The Press.
This is because in addition to an imminent dismantling, a pro-Israeli demonstration is expected at the beginning of the afternoon on campus. A counter-demonstration was quickly announced.
Little visible on campus since the start of the mobilization, a strong police presence has been observed around the camp.
Not far away, a giant screen installed by a pro-Israeli organization broadcasts a looping documentary on the October 7 attack by Hamas against Israel.
The university administration made a final call on Wednesday to leave the field.
“The encampment must be dismantled quickly, and this is non-negotiable,” President and Vice Chancellor Deep Saini said in an email to students.
He promised to set up a “forum” for discussion with the demonstrators if they left the encampment “immediately”.
Far from leaving, the demonstrators called on the public to come carrying rope, sleeping bags and wooden pallets.
More details to come.