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Mere days shy of the two-month mark, the pro-Palestine encampment that has enflamed tensions on Western University’s campus is coming down, protesters say.
The encampment – in place since May 8 – is being dismantled, members of the protest group, the Western Divestment Coalition, said on Saturday, roughly in line with the timeline demanded by the school’s president, Alan Shepard, in something of an ultimatum issued earlier this week.
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“The decision (to leave) comes after careful consideration by the students,” the protesters said in a Saturday statement, “and is driven by our commitment to keep divestment our central focus, regardless of the means employed.”
Though largely peaceful, there was growing tension over the encampment outside the University Community Centre. Last week, protesters brought in construction material to fortify the camp while school officials accused protesters of “egregious” conduct in damaging a nearby washroom.
Protesters told The Free Press they planned to be “respectful” during the recent 10-day run of spring convocation ceremonies. There were few notable flare-ups, though one Ivey business school graduate said he felt intimidated by protesters on his graduation day.
“There was tons of screaming and chanting from the protesters. And they were very much in our face. Some of them were recording us, some of them were giving us the finger,” the graduate, who spoke to The Free Press on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, said.
Days ago, Shepard, the school’s president, issued a statement warning that Western officials would not seek disciplinary action against the encampment protesters if they “voluntarily remove” the camp. One member of the group said she was “really disappointed” with the tone of the statement.
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It was recently estimated by one protester that roughly three dozen people were sleeping there in tents nightly.
Akin to protests on other university campuses across North America, the one at Western was focused on the Israeli war with Hamas-controlled Gaza, which began in response to the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel. The group urged Western officials to cut economic ties with Israel and any companies linked to the conflict.
It’s unclear whether school officials made any such agreement, but the protesters’ statement suggested they did not. “Our commitment to divestment remains firm. We will not give up or give in until Western abides by the ethical investment standards it claims to uphold.”
The protests at Ontario universities appear to be ending. At the University of Toronto, protesters dismantled their camp three days ago when faced with a court injunction to clear out or risk being arrested. At the University of Waterloo, school officials have filed a $1.5-million lawsuit against protesters, alleging their presence has caused the school “significant harm and damages,” including costs for property repairs and security, and negatively affected its ability to attract and retain students and faculty.
jmoulton@postmedia.com
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