Student protesters at McGill encampment say first talks with university administration not fruitful

Pro-Palestinian student protesters at McGill University say school administrators failed to give a "clear timeline" in the first meeting about their demands that the university cut ties with Israeli academic institutions and pull all investments from companies that operate in the country.

In a news conference Monday afternoon, the student protesters said they would be staying put until further notice.

"We are waiting for actual divestments and are announcing that the encampment will continue as long as we don't have concrete news of divestment," said encampment protester and Concordia University student Ari Nahman.

Two McGill student protesters — one of them said they were a member of Independent Jewish Voices and the other said they were Palestinian — also spoke to reporters but refused to share their names because of past disciplinary actions the university has taken against students for protesting.

The protesters set up an encampment 10 days ago on the front lawn of McGill's downtown campus on Sherbrooke Street. The camp began with about 20 tents and soon grew to cover a large area of the lawn, now operating like a "tiny city," Nahman told The Canadian Press over the weekend. 

After a tumultuous first week where the camp faced pressure to dismantle from McGill president Deep Saini, who asked for "police assistance" on campus, as well as from a court injunction request that was ultimately rejected, things were calm at the encampment over the weekend and Monday.

Saini has offered to hold a forum "with members of the McGill community to discuss your various demands and any contrary views in a peaceful, respectful and civilized manner."

The protesters said they will be having further meetings with McGill — but they say their demand for divestment is firm.

"We are listening to them and seeking to explore pathways to a meaningful resolution that adheres to our own institutional mission and principles," the university said in a statement Monday evening. 

The statement said McGill will not comment on the substance of the talks.

Daniel Schwartz, an assistant professor at McGill's faculty of languages, literatures and cultures, said he and a large group of professors from Montreal universities stand behind the students. "The students' demands are clear and have been for years as they have tried to access official channels to make themselves heard," Schwartz said.

"Over and over, they have been faced with intimidation, threats and attempts to repress this movement for freedom and justice. This is unacceptable and we stand with them today. We are optimistic with this first step that McGill will be acting in good faith."

On a large piece of fabric hung on the fence surrounding the encampment, protesters listed four demands of McGill:

In late January, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague ordered Israel to do everything in its power to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza.