Student-led pro-Palestinian encampment set up at University of Calgary

Student-led pro-Palestinian encampments were established at the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta campuses on Thursday morning, joining the dozens of protests happening on campuses across Canada and the U.S.

The Calgary Student Movement is leading the encampment and protest in Calgary, according to a news release on Thursday. The encampment, called the Mohkinstsis Liberated Zone, will stay in place until the university meets the group’s demands, the news release said.

The group is demanding that the university completely and permanently divest from all corporations involved directly and indirectly with the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which escalated last October.

Calgary Student Movement is also calling on the university to condemn Israel’s actions toward Palestinians.

The encampment at the University of Calgary joins hundreds of students across Canada and the U.S. setting up encampments and calling on their schools to disclose ties with the Israeli government and divest from Israeli universities. This includes protests and encampments at the University of Toronto, McGill University, the University of British Columbia, the University of Ottawa and Western University, among others.

“Our demands reflect a commitment to dismantling systems of oppression, and fostering a campus environment that upholds the dignity and rights of the individuals,” said Ryn LaRoux, a student and one of the spokespeople for the Calgary Student Movement.

Julia Lee, a third-year political science student at the University of Calgary, said many encampment participants are students and alumni from different schools, including Mount Royal University.

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She told Global News that the University of Calgary has not been transparent about its investments and economic ties to companies potentially involved in the Israel and Hamas conflict.

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“This was an immediate action by a group of extremely dedicated people. We believe there is no time to wait,” Lee said. “We want to make sure the freedom of Palestinians come as soon as possible.”

Justice for Palestinians Calgary said in a social media post that it stands in solidarity with the student encampment at the University of Calgary and across Canada.

“These student-led encampments continue a legacy of powerful resistance against imperialism, reminiscent of past movements … Justice for Palestinians Calgary condemns all acts of racism and violence against any student or faculty member, including their labelling as antisemitic for participating in any action in fighting for the liberation of Palestine,” part of the post read.

A University of Calgary spokesperson said the university is aware that tents have been set up on campus.

“We are engaging with the individuals involved however, temporary structures and overnight protests are not permitted. Members of the campus community are free to protest but they are not free to camp,” the spokesperson said in an email.

A Calgary Police Service spokesperson told Global News that officers asked the students to leave the university grounds but they refused, saying they are trespassing.

Const. Matt Messenger said since the conflict between Israel and Hamas escalated in October, the Calgary Police Service has seen a rise in hate crimes against the Jewish and Palestinian communities.

“We’ve seen a rise in suspected hate against both the Jewish and Israeli communities (as well as the) Palestinian communities,” he told Global News. “These things are usually geopolitical … We’re seeing a lot more reported crime and hate since the start of that conflict.”

But LaRoux said the students will not leave unless all the demands are met.

“We’ve spoken with the police. We have not been removed. We have not been arrested. We will. We will only do well. We only take down our encampment once our demands are met,” they said.

Global News has confirmed that a small encampment has been set up at the University of Alberta’s North Campus on Thursday morning.

As of 3 p.m., 13 tents could be seen in the encampment.

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Nour Salhi, a media spokesperson for the encampment, told Global News that protesters are standing in solidarity with the student movement against Israel.

They said protesters want the University of Alberta to disclose and divest any investments into companies that are directly or indirectly involved in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

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Salhi also said the protesters want the university to support a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, as well as provide support for Palestinian students.

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“What we have heard from the University of Alberta is that they’ll allow us to peacefully protest … But we still haven’t heard from them about divesting,” Salhi said.

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In a statement on Thursday afternoon, the University of Alberta said its leadership is “in open and ongoing communication” with protestors.

The statement continued to say that student and staff safety is the primary concern for the university.

“Academic freedom and freedom of expression are the foundations of the university … Even in cases where some may find the expression offensive or disturbing, we recognize the right to criticize and question,” Thursday’s statement read.

“However, any action that impedes the university’s core business of teaching and learning—or violates the law or policies of the university—goes beyond the parameters of freedom of expression. In particular, the university will not tolerate hate speech or calls for violence.

More to come…

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