Students set up 'indefinite' pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University

About 20 tents wentup on McGill'sdowntown campus Saturday in what students are calling an act of solidarity with the Palestinian cause, joining a wave of similar protests taking place across U.S. campuses amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

On Saturday afternoon, organizers could be heard asking over loudspeakers that as many peopleas possible stay at the encampment overnight.

A larger group of demonstrators who hadparticipated in a protest in downtown Montreal joined later, but many of themleft campus by 7:30 p.m., the McGill University media relations department said in astatement sent Saturday.

Protesters point toadata set published on April 18 by McGill Hunger Strike for Palestine and Students for Justice in Palestine. It lists 50 companies that McGill University invests in that the organizations sayare "complicit in upholding the apartheid regime of Israel."

A statement from McGill Universitysent to CBCNews Saturdaysaid two members of the university's senior management team told the group"it could raise its concerns about divestment through the University's established processes," but so far, the committee thatreviews thosematters at McGill"has received no expression of concern on this topic."

The statement noted that McGill does not invest directly in individual stocks or companiessince external fund managers hired by the universitychoose "investments for mandates in segregated accounts and pooled funds, the composition of which is continually changing."

Israel launched its war against Hamas after the militant group's attacks on Oct. 7. During the attacks,some 1,200 people were killed and around250 were taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.More than 130 hostages are still being held in Gaza, including women and children.

Health authorities in Gaza say Israel's offensive in Gaza has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians the majority of them women and children and has led to the imminent risk of famine,the destruction of key hospitals and, according to the United Nations, the displacement of 1.9 million people.

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The Montreal chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement called the encampment "indefinite," adding that it refuses to let universities "be complicit in genocide," in a social media post on Instagram.

Another student group,Solidarit pour les droits humains des Palestiniennes et Palestiniensalso urgedUQAM's students and personnel to join in as well, in a post to Facebook.

In an email to CBC News sent Saturday, McGill University says it's aware the encampment is happening and it supports the right of its students to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly within the bounds of the university's policies and law. It added thatthe Dean of Students and a representative from McGill security instructed protesters to remove their tents, but they refused.

Saturday evening, the media relations department confirmed theprotest has been peaceful and is contained to the lower field.