Pro-Hamas McGill encampment organizers will be running a “revolutionary” summer camp for youth that will include a lesson on “Islamic resistance.”
The “Youth Summer Program” will run from June 17 to July 12 at the McGill encampment, a place the organizers now refer to as “Tiohtià:ke Popular University.”
The camp is being organized by Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights McGill and Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights Concordia.
McGill University is meanwhile currently seeking an injunction to clear the encampment that has been occupying its campus since Apr 27.
The two student groups promoted their summer camp on social media with a poster showcasing Palestinian militants with machine guns.
“In response to the transnational student callout to Revolt for Rafah, the Gaza Solidarity Encampment at McGill is launching the revolutionary youth summer program” said SPHR McGill in a social media post.
The post promoting the summer camp contained multiple spelling errors, with organizers writing “instutional” instead of “institutional,” and “transformining” instead of “transforming.”
“We pledge to educate the youth of Montreal and redefine McGill’s ‘elite’ (institutional) legacy by (transforming) its space into one of revolutionary education,” organizers noted.
Organizers say the summer camp will feature physical activity, Arabic language instruction, cultural crafts, political discussions as well as “historical and revolutionary lessons.”
Each camp week will focus on a different theme.
The first week, running from June 17 to 21 will be all about “the history of Palestinian resistance,” with programming running daily from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The first day of week one will touch on “the beginning of resistance.” The second day will touch on “pan-Arabism,” the third day will touch on “the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization): From Al Karameh to Oslo,” the fourth day will touch on “Islamic resistance,” and the fifth day will touch on the “axis of resistance.”
The second week’s theme is set to be “the ongoing Nakba,” the third week will be about the “different fronts of the movement” and the fourth week will touch on “media after Oct. 7.”
True North reached out to SPHR McGill for clarification on what “Islamic resistance” entails, but they did not respond.
In a statement to True North, McGill University said the anti-Israel summer camp is “only the latest escalation in SPHR’s long-standing strategy of intimidation and fear.”
McGill added that “imagery evoking violence is not a tool of peaceful expression or assembly” and that the university has reached out to municipal, provincial, and federal public safety authorities to flag SPHR McGill’s post and other recent activities “as matters of national security.”
The university also said it will increase the presence of security staff near the encampment and elsewhere on campus, and continue to pursue legal action against SPHR and internal disciplinary measures.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs slammed the summer camp as hateful and toxic.
“We are calling on McGill to stop turning a blind eye to the hate & toxicity fuelling the illegal encampment & take action,” said CIJA in a statement. “This cannot be in our city. This cannot be at McGill. The tolerance for hate & antisemitism in our city is enough.”
“Authorities must act to dismantle the toxic encampment immediately, or the antisemitism, hate, intimidation & harassment will continue to metastasize,” they added.
The summer camp was also met with criticism online.
“This is the sickest, most disturbing thing I’ve ever seen in my life. I never imagined watching the world be so polluted and brainwashed… what a sick and twisted ‘program,’” wrote one Instagram user. “McGill, you’re really going to let this happen?? Terrifying for the city of Montreal,” wrote another.
This is not the first time that SPHR McGill has been in hot water.
As previously reported by True North, SPHR McGill openly praised the Oct. 7 attack against Israel as “heroic” and “monumental” while celebrating the launching of rockets and taking of hostages.
SPHR also posted a graphic featuring a photo of a man smashing windows on the eve of the anniversary of Kristallnacht, a 1938 wave of violent riots against Jewish businesses, synagogues and homes in Nazi Germany and its recently incorporated territories.
In December, SPHR was ordered to stop using the McGill name. The group has, however, chosen not to comply and continues to use the university’s name to this day.
