U of O warns that student activist camps will not be tolerated

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The University of Ottawa was one of two Ontario universities that on Monday warned anyone planning to follow the lead of pro-Palestinian student activists in the United States and other parts of Canada that setting up camps on campus would not be tolerated.

The University of Toronto and uOttawa say they understand that tensions are high, that many people are feeling anxious due to the magnitude of suffering in the Middle East, and that peaceful protests are critical to campus and democratic life.

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But universities say they have clear policies stating that using their facilities without proper authorization can have serious consequences, and that protests must be organized within the confines of university policies and the law.

Eric Bercier, associate vice-president of student affairs at uOttawa, said the university had heard of a protest planned for Monday and warned that establishing any encampment would have serious consequences.

“While peaceful protests are permitted in appropriate public spaces on campus in accordance with our policies and regulations, encampments and sit-ins will not be tolerated,” Bercier wrote in a statement posted on the university’s website.

“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.”

On Monday afternoon, a group of activists had gathered on the Ottawa campus with lawn chairs, picnic tables and snacks, but no tents were in sight.

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Activists who addressed the crowd said the group would be on campus daily from noon to evening to protest various issues, including the university’s relationship with Scotiabank.

Scotiabank has been targeted by protesters in Canada since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas over its investments in Elbit Systems Ltd., an Israeli arms company.

“U of T grounds and buildings are private property, although the university allows extensive public access to them for authorized activities,” wrote Sandy Welsh, vice-chancellor of students, in an email sent to the student community on Sunday.

“Unauthorized activities such as camping or the occupation of university buildings are considered intrusion. Specifically, our Student Code of Conduct prohibits intentional damage to university property, unauthorized entry and use of university property against instructions, disruption of university activities, and other offenses to property and persons.”

The warnings from uOttawa and the University of Toronto, Canada’s largest post-secondary institution, come after pro-Palestinian student activists set up an encampment on the grounds of McGill University in Montreal, where student activists from Concordia University are also participating.

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Student activists at McGill have said they are demanding that the school divest from Israeli companies that are “complicit in the occupation of Palestine.” They also hope that the school will cut academic ties with Israeli institutions.

McGill has said the camp violates both school policies and the law.

American universities have seen a wave of protests in recent weeks related to the war between Israel and Hamas.

On Monday, Columbia University escalated its stance against protesters on its New York campus by sending an ultimatum for students to sign a form and leave the camp by the afternoon or face suspension.

The first protests at Columbia, where protesters set up tents in the center of campus, sparked pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the United States. Students and others have been discussing the war between Israel and Hamas and its rising death toll. Many students are demanding that their universities cut financial ties with Israel.

Students have barricaded themselves in tent encampments at several high-profile American universities, and clashes continue between protesters and administrators at Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, Yale and others.

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Asked Monday about the planned sit-in at uOttawa, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said at an unrelated news conference that Ontario is known for its inclusivity.

“Do you know what I want? Hopefully everyone gets along,” Ford said. “Of course, there are conflicts all over the world. They want to express their opinion. And that is your democratic right. Do it peacefully. “That’s all I ask.”

— With files from the Associated Press and Ben Simon

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