Western U encampment ends but action not over, activists say

The pro-Palestinian encampment astatine Western University is nary more, but nan group down it says it will proceed pushing for nan assemblage successful London, Ont., to divest from Israel-connected costs successful ray of nan ongoing conflict successful Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.

“After sixty days, nan Western Divestment Coalition has concluded nan encampment astatine Concrete Beach, however, nan struggle for Palestinian liberation goes on,” an Instagram station reads.

“This determination comes aft observant information by nan students, and is driven by our committedness to support divestment our cardinal focus, sloppy of nan intends employed.”

The adjacent illustration of action will beryllium a rally astatine Concrete Beach astatine 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Western’s president issued a nationalist missive to nan post-secondary schoolhouse organization connected Saturday evening describing a “peaceful end” to nan encampment.

“As we look to floor plan a caller way forward, we will attraction connected restoring relationships and identifying opportunities to travel together arsenic a community,” Alan Shepard wrote.

“We admit this will return clip and are prepared to prosecute successful this important work.”

Similar encampments astatine different Ontario universities person besides been dismantled successful caller weeks. An encampment astatine University of Waterloo ended connected Sunday and nan assemblage has since confirmed it is dropping a lawsuit against members of nan OccupyUW movement.

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Last week, protesters who had camped retired connected nan University of Toronto’s downtown field for 2 months packed up their tents and cleared nan tract to comply pinch a tribunal order but promised to support putting unit connected nan assemblage until it meets their demands.

An encampment astatine Queen’s University successful Kingston, Ont., was dismantled at nan extremity of May pursuing what activists astatine nan clip described arsenic movements made by module management to meet demands.

On Monday morning, nan University of Guelph confirmed it “took nan measurement of serving a ineligible Notice of Trespass to members of nan encampment” aft encampment members location grounded to vacate by a requested 8 p.m. Sunday deadline.

— pinch files from Global News’ Kevin Nielsen and Talha Hashmani and from The Canadian Press