Palestinian solidarity encampment starts on UBC campus

Protesters have set up camp at the University of British Columbia to stand in solidarity with Palestinians.

Community members from across the Lower Mainland started an encampment on MacInnes Field, in the centre of campus behind the Alma Mater Society’s student building, at 5 a.m. Monday.

Representatives there say they are calling on the university to “divest from Israel’s settler colonial occupation, ethnic cleansing, and genocide of Palestinians, and to participate in global academic boycotts of Israeli universities.”

As of noon, about two dozen tents had been set up in the field at the Vancouver campus. Furniture was also seen, as were signs and flags showing support for Palestinians.

“We really want to call upon the university’s role within the genocide. The fact that UBC has around $66 million invested through its endowment fund — we are calling on them to divest this money. We are also calling for the university to publicly condemn the genocide, which they haven’t done yet,” Nisha Kahn, a media liaison for the encampment, said Monday.

“Specifically, also condemning the academic scholasticide that is happening within Gaza — so the targeting and the destruction and the bombing of universities and schools within Palestine.”

Community agreements were being handed out to those in attendance, outlining a number of points.

“We have no tolerance for discrimination, including but not limited to: anti-Palestinian racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism, racism, transphobia, homophobia, sexism, or ableism,” one line reads

“We do not engage with agitators or counter-protesters,” said another.

UBC monitoring situation

In a statement to CityNews, UBC says it “values freedom of expression and respects peaceful protest.”

“We understand that some in our community want to protest the violence and war they see unfolding. These actions must always be taken with respect for others and within the boundaries of university policy and the law,” Matthew Ramsey, acting senior director, UBC media relations, said.

“Any actions that create a health and safety risk, impede the university community (students, faculty and staff) from continuing learning, research, work and other activities on campus, or damage university property will be taken very seriously and investigated. UBC’s Student Code of Conduct and expectations of employees clearly prohibit such behaviours. Visitors, students, faculty and staff are expected to follow the university’s rules.”

Ramsey says the university will monitor and assess the situation, and “will also liaise with RCMP on this matter.”

“We also remind everyone that hate and intolerance have no place at UBC. The university must be a place of reasoned debate where conflicting views can peacefully co-exist,” he added.

The action being taken at UBC was organized alongside thousands of students across Canada and the United States who are demanding institutions of education pull their financial investments in Israel.

-With files from Cecilia Hua