Montreal police consulting RCMP in probe of McGill encampment’s ad

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Montreal police have opened an investigation and are consulting the Royal Canadian Mounted Police concerning a social media post advertising a “youth summer program” at the pro-Palestine encampment at McGill University.

The post that appeared last week on the Instagram account of Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) McGill features a group of young people wearing black and white head scarves sitting on the grass reading books, some holding rifles. The post asks the “youth of Montreal” to register for a four-week semester of classes on “The Palestine Question.” Activities would include political discussions, and historical and “revolutionary lessons.”

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Jewish leaders and several federal and provincial politicians have denounced the post as an explicit incitement to violence, with some declaring it a hate crime.

At a news briefing on Monday afternoon, Montreal police director of communications David Shane called the post “in very bad taste” but did not go so far as to label it a hate crime.

“This publication, which invites young people to take part in workshops at the camp, is a cause for concern as it features an image of an assault rifle. We understand the fears this publication may arouse. We are investigating the matter and have been in contact with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. … We know they have expertise in matters of terrorism, for example, so we just wanted to exchange about best practices (on) how to deal with this file,” he said.

But he said the post does not name any specific target for violence, implied or otherwise.

“At this moment what we can see in that (post), there is no group identified. One of the elements for it to be declared a hate crime, there has to be one of 14 discriminated-against groups targeted. So we don’t have that. We are looking at how to proceed. It’s clear that when we look at it, it’s in very bad taste. It is the kind of thing that makes the population insecure. We understand that. That’s why we have opened an investigation and we will get to the bottom of it.”

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Earlier Monday, a McGill student who said she is a representative of the encampment told The Gazette the image of the young people reading and holding rifles was chosen for its symbolism.

“It’s a historical image that shows a colonized people reading about another colonized people. It symbolizes the dynamic between struggle and education,” said the student, who declined to give her name because of concerns for her safety and repercussions in the future.

She said the activities around the encampment are family friendly, so children are welcome to come with their parents. But the classes are part of what she called The Popular University and will be held inside the encampment for adults only. She said about 80 people had signed up for the first week of classes, which began at 4 p.m. on Monday. Anyone is welcome to sign up, she said.

“What’s happening inside the camp is like a university, like a classroom where there are going to be Palestinian intellectuals, artists, authors and professors, some from McGill, teaching about Palestine. The people who signed up for that are university students. But around that, we will be doing activities and workshops like we’ve been doing since day one, like crafts, kite-making, embroidery, reading circles, poetry circles, dancing, and that’s where the youth summer camp (idea) comes from. But the actual classes we will be teaching would be the Popular University for adults.”

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Media members were not allowed into the classes Monday, she said, although that may change. Asked if she is concerned about people signing up who may disagree with the content of the classes, she said “there is a difference between being genuinely curious and being disruptive, so we will play that as it goes.”

Shane said the SPVM’s press briefing was called to reassure the population given recent events. He gave an update on measures the police force has been taking to deal with the increase in hate crimes and hate incidents against members of the Jewish and Arab and/or Muslim communities of Montreal since the current war in the Middle East began.

“Since Oct. 7, the SPVM has deployed a number of measures to maintain peace and ensure the safety of all, whether in terms of presence on the ground, investigations or collaboration with the communities concerned.”

He said the SPVM is in close contact with representatives of the Jewish and Muslim/Arab communities, and meetings are held regularly to “exchange views and adapt our actions accordingly.”

Between Oct. 7, 2023 and June 12, 2024, 146 hate crimes and 104 hate incidents have been recorded by the SPVM against both groups combined. To date, 31 files have been submitted to the director of criminal and penal prosecutions (DPCP), and one suspect has been arrested in connection with a shooting at a Jewish school in the Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough on Nov. 12.

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He noted SPVM officers have supervised more than 250 demonstrations over that period, almost all of which took place “in an orderly fashion,” he noted.

With regard to the pro-Palestine encampment, which has been in place on McGill University’s lower campus since April 27, he said the police have no legal foundation to dismantle it at this point. McGill has applied to the Superior Court of Quebec to have it ordered dismantled, and legal proceedings are still underway.

“The Superior Court will therefore have to rule on the important question of two opposing fundamental rights: the right to enjoy property versus the right to exercise freedom of expression,” Shane said. “That said, police officers are keeping a close eye on developments to ensure the protection and safety of all concerned.”

He said the SPVM will intervene “if situations require,” and noted the SPVM did intervene on June 6 “when demonstrators illegally occupied university premises and arrests were made.” Fifteen people were arrested in that incident; 13 were charged with breaking and entering, and two with obstructing a police officer.

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He said the SPVM is neutral and not looking for a reason to intervene in the encampment.

“The quarrel is in front of the Superior Court. It has been seized of this question and this is in motion right now. We can’t replace (the courts) and we don’t have the power to replace them at all,” he said, noting that judges have twice ruled that there is no urgent reason to remove the encampment.

“We need legal foundation to intervene. Right now we don’t have that. There needs to be an emergency. There needs to be a necessity to intervene. We apply the criminal code. If there are serious infractions that are putting people in danger, then maybe we would evaluate the situation and intervene.”

Of the total of 250 hate crimes and hate incidents recorded by the SPVM between Oct. 7, 2023 and June 12, 2024 against the Jewish, Muslim and/or Arab communities, 70 were against members of the Arab and/or Muslim communities and 180 were against members of Jewish communities. (Hate crimes in this context are criminal acts that are motivated by prejudice on the basis of religion. Hate incidents are actions that are not listed as crimes in the criminal code, but that may affect people’s sense of safety, such as the distribution of offensive material, insults and offensive gestures. The SPVM monitors hate incidents in order to intervene before hate crimes are committed.)

There were 11 hate crimes against property associated with Arab/Muslim communities and 43 hate crimes against property associated with Jewish communities. There were a total of 33 hate crimes reported against people who are members of Arab/Muslim communities and 59 against members of Jewish communities. There were 26 hate incidents that targeted members of Arab/Muslim communities and 78 hate incidents that targeted members of Jewish communities.

Anyone who sees or is a victim of a hate crime or incident should contact 911, their local police station or Infocrime Montreal, where they can report their complaint anonymously, by calling 514-393-1133.

mlalonde@postmedia.com

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