A pro-Palestinian camp at McGill in Montreal is gearing up for its second week

A group of Palestinian protesters camped out in downtown Montreal at McGill University say they are better organized and prepared than ever as the protests enter their second week.

Protester Ari Nahman said the camp had turned into a “miniature city” with dozens of rain shelters, a library, a collection of donated items and wooden sidewalks to keep the mud out.

Today, camp members can be seen digging shallow trenches to drain the heavy rain as others work in a tent that serves as a “free store” providing hot coffee, food and rain gear.

Pro-Palestinian activists have pitched tents at the University of Toronto, the University of Ottawa, and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, following a similar wave of protests on US campuses over the Israel-Hamas war.

Opponents of the camps said the protests were illegal and made some Jewish students feel unsafe, and both McGill and Prime Minister François Legault asked police to help break down the tents in Montreal.

Nahman of Independent Jewish Voices Concordia says the campers want to leave, but won't until their universities agree to disburse funds from companies protesting Israel's crackdown on Palestinians.

This Canadian Press report was first published on May 5, 2024.