Pro-Palestinian protesters dismantle encampment at University of Ottawa

The University of Ottawa says pro-Palestinian protesters person dismantled an encampment that had been connected field for 2 months.

University president Jacques Frémont said nan encampment tract is presently successful a “deplorable state” and nan schoolhouse will beryllium restoring nan area, accusing demonstrators of trashing it earlier leaving.

“We condemn nan acts of vandalism committed by nan demonstrators earlier leaving nan site,” he said successful a connection connected Wednesday.

“Over nan past 2 months, we person managed nan risks astir nan unauthorized encampment connected assemblage spot while maintaining an unfastened speech pinch student organizers successful bully religion to find serene ways to extremity it.”

A student-led group representing nan protesters said connected societal media that nan assemblage didn’t meet their demands, including nan acknowledgment of anti-Palestinian racism and divesting its investments successful Israel.

“The assemblage responded by stalling, speaking to america successful bureaucratic jargon, and dismissing our very reasonable demands altogether,” nan group said.

The group said nan encampment is conscionable 1 of their tactics, and they will proceed to face nan administration.

Frémont said nan assemblage will uphold world state and state of expression.

“We person heard nan protesters’ message. We afloat admit nan symptom caused by nan unit unfolding successful nan Middle East since October of past year,” he said.

“That symptom is so felt by galore members of our community. We besides cognize that nan tensions that nan conflict is causing connected our field and successful our nine will persist.”

Last week, demonstrators cleared a two-month-old encampment astatine nan University of Toronto’s downtown field aft a judge granted nan school’s petition for an injunction that would person allowed constabulary to measurement successful to region and apprehension protesters who stayed.

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Pro-Palestinian protesters besides dismantled their encampments astatine 2 confederate Ontario universities complete nan weekend.

The encampments astatine nan University of Waterloo and Western University were cleared astir 2 months aft they were established arsenic portion of a broader activity calling connected world institutions to trim ties pinch Israel.

A group representing nan Western University protesters said their determination was made aft “careful consideration,” and that they would proceed to push for divestment done different means.

At nan University of Waterloo, a student-led group representing nan protesters said they decided to “voluntarily decamp” connected Sunday nighttime successful what they called a strategical decision.

The group said it will now target nan university’s investments and partnerships pinch Israel, which it said were disclosed arsenic a consequence of nan encampment protest.

University president Vivek Goel said nan encampment was peacefully dismantled and nan schoolhouse was withdrawing a suit and injunction proceedings it had precocious launched related to nan protest.