Hamas.com billboard truck shows up at McGill University encampment
A billboard truck promoting Hamas.com parked in front of McGill University, where an anti-Israel encampment is ongoing. It stopped by the Roddick Gates, in front of McGill University, where the encampment has been ongoing since April 27.
The website, designed to look supportive of Hamas but highlighting the terrorist organization's crimes from the Oct. 7, 2023, attack against Israel, was being promoted by Israeli supporters who tried to engage in peaceful dialogue with the anti-Israel group.
Police ultimately removed the pro-Israel group from the campus.
MONTREAL: A billboard truck plays images of the victims from Hamas' October 7 terrorist attack against Israel in front of the encampment at @McGillU University.
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) May 17, 2024
Police are on scene. https://t.co/iAWKHLz6Mr pic.twitter.com/8Dba1kdQGu
According to people on the ground, the billboard truck didn’t provoke any reaction from the campers, but it was when Jewish students with some supporters came onto the grounds of McGill premises that the anti-Israel supporters reacted by encircling them and chanting antisemitic slogans around them.
Among them was a McGill student on the campus, who heard about the escalation in tension and came into the park to see his friends.
“We didn’t even touch their signs; we didn’t remove their sign. We sat around the signs,” he said. “I am a student here, and I am currently being blocked from my own campus. I was asked very politely by the police to leave.”
According to the Israeli supporters, their goal was only to have a discussion and not to counter-protest. Only Rudy Rochman had a sign with, which said “There is no future without Israelis and Palestinians, let’s talk.”
Rochman is a Jewish Israeli activist, who has travelled around to talk with the anti-Israel supporters about the current issues.
HAPPENING NOW: Israel supporters are gathering at McGill University to speak out against Hamas supporters that have set up an encampment on the property. https://t.co/MK7PbgngsO pic.twitter.com/1PBRRJb763
— Alexandra Lavoie (@ThevoiceAlexa) May 2, 2024
While reporting on the ground, one of the protesters who was not appreciative of Rebel News' presence told us, “Go Home.” When confronted about this, they assumed we were lying.
The anti-Israel encampment is now facing a second injunction requested by McGill University, but the lawyers involved in the case have pushed back the date back to July 25.
Alexandra Lavoie
Quebec based Journalist
Alexa graduated with a degree in biology from Laval University. Throughout her many travels, she has seen political instability as well as corruption. While she witnessed social disorder on a daily basis, she has always been a defender of society’s most vulnerable. She’s been around the world several times, and now joins Rebel News to shed light on today’s biggest stories.
