Close X
Saturday, October 12, 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

Four children with strep A have died in B.C. in the past month, disease centre says

Four children with strep A have died in B.C. in the past month, disease centre says
Four children under the age of 10 who had streptococcal infections have died since mid-December, in what the BC Centre for Disease Control says is part of a surge in such infections. A bulletin released by the centre, the Provincial Health Services Authority and BC Children's Hospital says data from 2023 show a three-fold increase in invasive group A streptococcal infections in people under 20. 

Four children with strep A have died in B.C. in the past month, disease centre says

B.C. Coroners Service reports 36 outdoor deaths to start year, 5 on cold Jan. 12

B.C. Coroners Service reports 36 outdoor deaths to start year, 5 on cold Jan. 12
British Columbia's Coroners Service is reporting the outdoor deaths of 36 people during the early days of January when the province was in the grip of a record-breaking cold snap. Coroners Service data for the days from Jan. 1 to 16 show the highest number of people dying on Jan. 12, a day when numerous low temperature records were broken across B.C.

B.C. Coroners Service reports 36 outdoor deaths to start year, 5 on cold Jan. 12

Shooting & robbery attempt suspect in Surrey faces numerous charges

Shooting & robbery attempt suspect in Surrey faces numerous charges
A 21-year-old man faces numerous charges following a shooting and robbery attempt in Surrey earlier this month. Police say they were called on January 7th when a person was assaulted during a robbery and a single shot was discharged into the air. 

Shooting & robbery attempt suspect in Surrey faces numerous charges

Man hit by vehicle in Abbotsford

Man hit by vehicle in Abbotsford
A man is in critical condition after being hit by a vehicle in Abbotsford. Police say the pedestrian accident happened this morning on North Parallel Road. The driver stayed at the scene and is co-operating with the investigation.

Man hit by vehicle in Abbotsford

Israeli envoy joins calls for Canada to clarify its stance on ICJ genocide case

Israeli envoy joins calls for Canada to clarify its stance on ICJ genocide case
Israel's envoy to Canada is joining calls for the federal Liberals to clearly state Ottawa's position as the International Court of Justice considers an allegation of genocide against Israel.  Iddo Moed says Canada should "leave no room for misinterpretation" on its stance, noting that many of Canada's allies and peers have stated a clear position on the case.

Israeli envoy joins calls for Canada to clarify its stance on ICJ genocide case

Gas provider faces fire over B.C. leak and its 'apocalyptic' stink

Gas provider faces fire over B.C. leak and its 'apocalyptic' stink
The chemical that caused the smell was mercaptan, which is typically added to odourless gas supplies so leaks are easier to detect. The gas provider is being criticized for a lack of transparency and timely explanation about the stench Delta Mayor George Harvie said led to emergency services being flooded with calls.    

Gas provider faces fire over B.C. leak and its 'apocalyptic' stink