Gaza Solidarity Encampment Raided by Montreal Police

The Victoria Square encampment in downtown Montreal was raided in the early hours of July 5, resulting in one arrest. 

This encampment, called the Al-Soumoud encampment, translating to steadfastness in Arabic, was the first Gaza Solidarity Encampment in North America located in a public park and not on a university or college campus. this encampment targeted both investments by Quebec’s pension investor the Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec (CDPQ) to divest in companies arming Israel and the office of Quebec’s Ministère des Relations Internationales et de la Francophonie to close their office in Tel Aviv.

Al-Soumoud encampment spokesperson Benoît Allard walked CUTV through the camper's experience of the Al-Soumoud encampment being raided, the presence of police at this encampment long before the raid and how the dismantlement of this encampment will not end their determination to see the CDPQ divest from Israel and Quebec close their office in Tel Aviv. 

At the time of this interview, Allard was at the McGill encampment, where there was police presence ahead of a request from the Montreal Fire Department to conduct a fire safety check. Campers did not want to allow the fire department and police in the encampment, generating concerns of a suspected raid. The McGill encampment was not raided.

Despite the removal of this encampment, Allard says the fight for divestment and a free Palestine does not end. 

The CDPQ, the Office of the Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie and the Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal did not respond to a request for comment before the deadline of this report.