Pro-Palestinian protesters on grounds at McGill University say they are better organized and prepared than ever as the encampment enters its second week of activity.
Ari Nahman, who camps there, says the encampment has become a “little town” with dozens of waterproof tents, a library, supplies and makeshift wooden sidewalks to keep the mud at bay.
Camp members were digging a shallow trench Sunday to shed heavy rain, while others set up a “free store” in a tent to serve hot coffee, food and rain-proof clothing.
Pro-Palestinian activists have also set up encampments at the University of Toronto, the University of Ottawa and the Vancouver campus of the University of British Columbia. A similar wave is taking place on campuses across the United States.
Opponents of the encampments said the protests were illegal and made some Jewish students feel unsafe. McGill University and Prime Minister François Legault asked the police to dismantle the Montreal encampments.
Ari Nahman, a member of Independent Jewish Voices Canada, says the campers won’t leave until universities agree to divest from companies they say support Israel’s actions against the Palestinians.