B.C. university goes to court in attempt to end Gaza encampment

A assemblage connected Vancouver Island is taking ineligible action successful a bid to extremity a protestation campy successful support of Gaza.

Vancouver Island University (VIU) successful Nanaimo said successful a Monday connection that it was “regrettably” seeking an injunction against nan pro-Palestinian demonstrators aft they disregarded a trespass announcement issued past week.

“This determination was not made lightly, but it has go basal to guarantee nan assemblage tin run efficaciously and that our field remains a safe and welcoming spot for all,” nan assemblage said successful a connection connected its website.

The move comes weeks aft nan University of Toronto successfully obtained an injunction to region a akin protestation campy from its campus.

VIU had fixed protesters a July 15 deadline to break up nan encampment, alleging they had violated field policies by erecting impermanent structures and camping overnight.

It besides alleged they had vandalized assemblage property, disrupted an exam and occupied respective buildings.

In a connection posted connected their Instagram account, nan protesters said they had nary plans to backmost down from their demands to nan university.

“VIU has choices here, nan easiest and astir civilized is to perceive to nan concerns of their students, yet nan way of choices they took are to put their students astatine risk, to villainize them and punish them for utilizing their correct to protest,” nan station said.

The protesters’ demands see a connection condemning genocide, disclosure of each assemblage investments, an investigation into allegations nan Muslim Women’s Club was targeted, a information scheme for Muslim and students from Palestinian territories and shutting down nan field Starbucks.

They’re besides calling connected nan assemblage to follow nan illustration of nan University of Windsor, which reached a woody earlier this period pinch students to extremity a pro-Palestinian encampment connected their campus.

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The protesters urged supporters to telephone various assemblage numbers, including those for nan president’s office, to kick astir “the deficiency of attraction and respect” that they opportunity an injunction aliases constabulary action would show.

The assemblage alleges nan protesters person directed supporters to telephone field information numbers meant to beryllium utilized successful emergencies only.

“We understand that this business has been challenging and profoundly affectional for many,” nan assemblage said.

“We stay committed to supporting our students and labor done this difficult clip and proceed to promote constructive and respectful speech connected each issues affecting our community.”

Neither nan assemblage nor nan protesters would remark connected Tuesday.

University of Ottawa Law Professor Micheal Geist said VIU apt has a beardown case, fixed nan University of Toronto’s success.

“The University of Toronto brought an action successful Ontario arguing that free reside aside, this was fundamentally trespass, group simply don’t person nan correct to spell onto personification else’s spot and enactment for arsenic agelong arsenic they want,” he said.

“That encampment is going to travel down. Whether it comes down voluntarily — based connected nan truth that from a ineligible perspective, there’s not a awesome lawsuit to beryllium made — aliases location is simply a request to escalate done nan courts, it’s going to happen.”

The campy is among a number of specified protestation sites astatine universities successful Canada and nan United States.

A campy astatine nan University of B.C. successful Vancouver was vacated by protesters voluntarily connected July 7.

The protesters against nan Israel-Hamas comflict successful Gaza person been demanding that universities trim financial and world ties pinch Israeli firms and institutions, among different things.

With files from nan Canadian Press