The University of Ottawa (uOttawa) says it supports freedom of expression but that encampments and occupations “will not be tolerated” as a pro-Palestinian demonstration takes place on campus.
With the death toll rising in Gaza, the Ottawa Palestinian Students Association staged a sit-in in front of Tabaret Hall on Monday from noon to 9 p.m. to demand that the school cut its ties with defense and security companies who supply weapons to Israel.
Organizers say the rally is being held in solidarity with American universities, where schools have moved to close pro-Palestinian camps and hundreds of students have been arrested.
“We are committed to fighting for Palestinian liberation and demand that the university get rid of anything that aids genocide, occupation and scaremongering by trying to silence its students,” the student group said on Instagram.
The president of the Palestinian Students Association, Samar Odeh, said on Monday that they want more transparency from the university.
“We want to know exactly what Ottawa is investing in the Israeli occupation and how we can take steps to stop those investments and look at other investments that are not at the expense of Palestinians in Gaza and throughout occupied Palestine,” Odeh said. .
Ben Maliketh, member of Integrity, No Grudge Against Falastin (INSAF), said: “We demand our university divest from any and all corporations that violate international law and may be profiting from the genocide and humanitarian crisis. ongoing in Gaza. “We hope that through this sit-in, the university will come to the table to discuss with its students what is a really important issue for them.”
Student Amjad Alghamyan says some of his classmates have faced repercussions from the university following pro-Palestinian protests. He also calls for transparency in how the school reprimands students.
“If someone is inciting hate, they should be held accountable, but what I’m asking is for the school to show us what their process is, to show us how justice is done, and we would be okay with that,” he said.
Eric Bercier, associate vice-president of student affairs at uOttawa, said in a news release Sunday that the university is aware of the demonstration.
“As always, our institution supports and protects the right to peaceful protest as a cornerstone of both our university mission and our democratic life,” Bercier writes in part.
“However, everyone in our university community has the right to feel safe and respected. We have strongly and repeatedly stated that any incitement of violence or incidents of harassment or hate, including Islamophobia and anti-Semitism, will not be tolerated on our campuses.”
The school says that while peaceful protests are permitted in “appropriate” spaces on campus, “encampments and sit-ins” will not be tolerated.
“In conclusion, we ask everyone to carefully consider their responsibilities and the well-being of our entire community. We continue to ask all members of our community to treat each other with respect and empathy as they interact in our classrooms, common spaces, and online “.
CTV News has contacted uOttawa for further comment.
Odeh did not say whether a camp was being planned.
“I can’t comment on that, but for now we’re going to continue showing up every day,” Odeh said.
“INSAF is not currently planning to have a camp,” Maliketh added.
The growing student protests in Canada come after weeks of camps set up in support of Palestinians at major American universities.
A growing camp has been observed in McGill University weekend. On Monday, the university’s media relations office noted that the situation has “changed significantly” as the number of tents on campus has tripled since Saturday.
“We have realized that many, if not most, of them are not members of the McGill community,” McGill said in a statement Monday.
Some American universities have had to switch to hybrid courses after some Jewish students said the protests made them feel unsafe on campus.
Early Saturday, police in riot gear cleared an encampment on the campus of Northeastern University in Boston. Massachusetts State Police said about 102 protesters were arrested and will be charged with criminal trespass and disorderly conduct. Protesters said they were given about 15 minutes to disperse before being arrested.
The New York police dismantled a pro-Palestinian protest camp at Columbia University and arrested more than 100 protesters on April 18.
With files from Sam Houpt of CTV News Ottawa, Associated Press and CTV News Montreal