Protesters clear Université Laval camp after police intervention

A pro-Palestinian camp on the Université Laval campus was cleared by the protesters themselves on Saturday evening after Quebec City police intervened.

According to a press release from Quebec City police, police observed about 30 protesters on Saturday attempting to join a wave of campus protesters by setting up tents on the grounds of the University of Quebec City, near Ste-Foy Rd. and du Séminaire Ave.

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The police ordered them to dismantle their camp and explained that, according to Article 19.1 of Municipal Ordinance 1091, the setting up of a tent or any other structure or device that could serve as a shelter was prohibited without prior written authorization from the competent authority.

The demonstrators themselves decided to dismantle the camp, police said. “Nevertheless, the group was able to continue demonstrating, as the Charter of Rights and Freedoms stipulates.”

During the police operation, the demonstrators received three summonses and one was arrested “to prevent a repetition”.

To prevent the construction of further tents, the university grounds were guarded at night.

The Laval students sought to join a wave of similar protests at McGill University, the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), and colleges elsewhere in North America and Europe.

Protesters who set up a pro-Palestinian camp at UQAM on May 12 said they would leave the site by June 6 after the university passed a resolution that met most of their demands. The protesters wanted the university to end its ties with Israeli institutions. The university stressed that its foundation had neither invested in weapons manufacturers nor made agreements with Israeli universities.

On October 7, Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. About 120 people are still missing.

Israel's ensuing war against Hamas has devastated the Gaza Strip and killed more than 36,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry. The UN says a quarter of the region's more than two million people are at risk of starvation and 1.7 million have been displaced.

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