Close X
Friday, October 11, 2024
ADVT 
National

Pro-Palestinian protesters dismantle UBC camp

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 08 Jul, 2024 05:10 PM
  • Pro-Palestinian protesters dismantle UBC camp

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 by the demonstrators.

Dozens of tents had been removed by Monday, although barricades and fencing around the site remain in place.

A statement from UBC says "protesters decamped from MacInnes Field" adjacent to the school's transit loop and student union building on Sunday, but did not elaborate. 

A spokeswoman for the protest camp confirmed in a text message that it had closed.

A UBC security guard at MacInnes Field who declined to be named said the protesters vacated the site without giving any notice on Sunday evening.

Guards were patrolling the area Monday to prevent unauthorized people from entering the field while they waited for cleanup crews to arrive.

On Friday, more than 35 tents and a small handful of people were visible at the site that had been occupied since late April by protesters demanding that UBC end any financial or academic ties with Israeli companies or institutions.

A spokeswoman for Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, B.C., said it had no update on a protest camp there. The University of Victoria did not respond to requests for updates on an encampment at its campus.

The low-key closure of the UBC camp came after another protest site at the University of Toronto was vacated last week. That came after a judge ruled in favour of an injunction sought by the school to clear the camp.

Ontario Superior Court Justice Markus Koehnen ruled the encampment took away the school’s ability to control what happened on its properties. The result, Koehnen said, amounted to irreparable harm.

"In our society, we have decided that the owner of property generally gets to decide what happens on the property," Koehnen’s decision said.

University of Ottawa professor Michael Geist had said the Ontario decision could act as a road map for other schools looking to remove protest camps. He said its reliance on property law meant schools could issue trespass notices to protesters before starting the legal process of clearing them out.

Protesters at several Canadian schools including UBC issued a joint statement on social media last week calling the Ontario decision "shameful" for prioritizing property ownership over students' rights.

The statement said protesters would "continue to act on our campuses and apply pressure to our universities through every possible avenue."

The UBC camp once included about 75 tents and was bustling with music and activity, but at one point on Friday only three people could be seen inside the fenced zone.

Vancouver Island University had said in a statement last week after the Ontario court decision that it was "exploring similar legal avenues taken by other institutions."

The school said about 25 protesters occupied a school building in late June and disrupted an exam, while another building was vandalized over the Canada Day long weekend.

Vancouver Island University said its settlement proposal to the protesters had been rejected, and the escalation of disruptions on campus shows "encampment participants are unwilling to engage in good-faith dialogue."

MORE National ARTICLES

Canada takes no clear position on interim ruling in genocide case against Israel

Canada takes no clear position on interim ruling in genocide case against Israel
Canada opted to say as little as possible Friday about an International Court of Justice ruling that ordered Israel to prevent a genocide of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. After hours of silence from the federal government, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly eventually released a statement that did not directly respond to the ruling.

Canada takes no clear position on interim ruling in genocide case against Israel

Canada suspends cash for UN agency serving Palestinians, amid probe into Hamas attack

Canada suspends cash for UN agency serving Palestinians, amid probe into Hamas attack
Canada is joining the United States in suspending funding for a UN agency that supports Palestinians, in response to allegations agency staff played a role in the Hamas attack on Israel last October.  Ottawa has ordered a temporary pause on "any additional funding" for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.  

Canada suspends cash for UN agency serving Palestinians, amid probe into Hamas attack

Highway 99 closed overnight

Highway 99 closed overnight
Highway 99 in Richmond will be closed overnight for construction work on the Steveston Interchange project. The B-C Transportation Ministry says in a statement the highway will be shut down in both directions starting 11 p-m and ending Saturday at 4:30 a-m.  

Highway 99 closed overnight

B.C. Health Minister announces appointment of new seniors advocate

B.C. Health Minister announces appointment of new seniors advocate
B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix says the province's new seniors advocate is Dan Levitt, an adjunct professor of gerontology at Simon Fraser University and the head of a non-profit long-term care home.  Levitt says he's "deeply honoured" to be appointed the province's second seniors advocate, and thanked current advocate Isobel Mackenzie, who is retiring in April. 

B.C. Health Minister announces appointment of new seniors advocate

Tackling Cyberbullying Digital Empathy in the Age of AI

Tackling Cyberbullying Digital Empathy in the Age of AI
The rise of social media platforms and online forums has connected people globally, fostering communication and collaboration. However, this interconnectedness has also opened the door to malicious behavior, with cyberbullying emerging as a formidable threat. Unlike traditional forms of bullying, cyberbullying transcends physical boundaries, allowing perpetrators to target individuals relentlessly through the anonymity afforded by the internet.

Tackling Cyberbullying Digital Empathy in the Age of AI

Balancing Acts The Impact of Work Hour Restrictions on International Students

Balancing Acts The Impact of Work Hour Restrictions on International Students
The Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulation stipulates that international students holding a study permit without a work permit are limited to working a maximum of 20 hours per week off-campus during the academic session, while they are permitted to work full-time during breaks between sessions. On-campus work has no hourly restrictions. Violation of this work cap, as outlined by the Government of Canada, may result in severe consequences, including the loss of student status, denial of approval for future study or work permits, or even deportation. 

Balancing Acts The Impact of Work Hour Restrictions on International Students