Pro-Palestinian protest camp at UBC ends
Posted July 8, 2024 2:04 pm.
Last Updated July 9, 2024 8:46 pm.
A pro-Palestinian protest camp that had occupied a sports field at the University of British Columbia’s Vancouver campus for more than two months has been dismantled.
Dozens of tents had been removed by Monday, although barricades and fencing around the site remained in place.
A UBC security guard who declined to be named said the protesters vacated the site without giving any notice on Sunday evening.
Guards were manning the entrance to the fenced site to prevent unauthorized people from entering on Monday afternoon.
In a statement, encampment organizers said they had decided to end the “tactic as discussions of divestment with the university continue.”
“This tactic was used as a tool to demand the universities’ attention and cooperation. If they do not continue to hold discussions in good faith we are prepared to employ a variety of strategies to move us towards our collective goal of divestment. For now, we are happy to end the encampment on our own terms and continue to work with the university,” the statement continued.
On Friday, more than 35 tents and a handful of people were visible at the site, occupied by protesters since late April. Protesters had been demanding that UBC end any financial or academic ties with Israeli companies or institutions.
CityNews has reached out to UBC for comment.
