Pro-Palestinian protesters have set up two new encampments on university campuses in British Columbia.
The University of Victoria confirmed Wednesday that an encampment had been established on campus, saying the school was “taking a calm and thoughtful approach” to minimize disruption.
“We encourage thoughtful, reasoned, and academic discourse on current issues and maintain that these discussions should take place in an environment free of discrimination, harassment, or hate speech of any kind,” the university said in a statement.
“As an abundance of caution, campus security may monitor access to buildings near the encampment and request information from people before they enter those buildings. »
In an Instagram post, the organizers, from the Free Palestine BC movement, say they are demanding that the university renounce all investments related to companies with Israeli business interests.
The message also states that protesters are demanding that the University of Victoria “stop associating with Israeli academic institutions that limit the rights of Palestinians.”
“This encampment is a rejection of the University of Victoria’s normalized relationships and partnerships with universities that support the policies of apartheid,” the group says.
No barriers were erected around the camp, which was filled with Palestinian flags and signs displaying support for Palestine.
Photos posted on social media show University of Victoria security guards observing the protesters.
Also on the Nanaimo campus
An official at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo confirmed Wednesday that an encampment had also been set up on its campus.
The university said in a statement that it is “monitoring the situation on the Nanaimo campus and [est] in contact with the local RCMP.
Protesters from the University of British Columbia (UBC) set up a first camp on Monday. They erected fences and other temporary barriers around a turf field and stored supplies for an extended stay on the Vancouver campus.
Jewish groups in the province have urged the UBC administration to ensure the safety of their communities.
In a statement, the Jewish student association Hillel BC said it had asked the university to take “proactive measures” to avoid “any disruption to student life and the educational process.”
The statement posted on Instagram said the group advised members of its community not to come into conflict with protesters “in any way.”
Hillel BC did not immediately respond to an interview request.
UBC protesters say they are prepared to camp until the university agrees to support the Palestinian cause in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
Protest camps at universities across North America have led to clashes at Columbia University in New York and the University of California in Los Angeles.
On Wednesday, Vancouver police announced they had arrested a 44-year-old woman as part of a hate crime investigation stemming from a speech at a protest last Friday in which she praised the attack on 7 October of Hamas.