A group of faculty members at the University of Victoria (UVic) are voicing their support for students occupying a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus that began on May 1.
A letter to the university signed by 75 of the school’s 900 faculty members, calls on UVic president Kevin Hall to meet with a small group of faculty to talk about how the university can work with the students toward a “peaceful and negotiated” solution, following concerns raised by administration earlier this week.
The university says it welcomes a conversation with students from the encampment.
In an email to CBC News, a spokesperson said they are in “active discussions” to schedule a meeting between UVic leaders and protesters.
Protesters are calling on the university to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, divest from companies that contribute to Israel’s military, and assure that UVic students, faculty and staff will not face charges or academic penalties for protesting.
Encampments at post-secondary institutions across the country continue to draw attention to the ongoing humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The war began on Oct. 7 after an attack in Israel led by Hamas that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli government tallies, including several Canadian citizens. About 250 people were taken hostage, with the Israeli government believing just under 130 are unaccounted for, with several confirmed dead and dozens repatriated after a late November pause in fighting.
Israel’s offensive has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in Gaza. While the health ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its death tolls, it says the majority of the dead have been women and children.
UVic president claims ‘increasing number of complaints’
In a Wednesday update on the encampment, Hall said there has been an “increasing number of complaints related to unacceptable incidents and behaviours,” including acts of vandalism, the spread of misinformation, and the unauthorized after-hours use of buildings.
Hall says he understands the encampment includes UVic students and that it’s supported by some staff and faculty, but other participants are not members of the school’s community, and it’s “irresponsible” for organizers to encourage those unaffiliated with the school to occupy the campus.
During a press conference Friday, UVic professor Audrey Yap, speaking on behalf of faculty members who signed the letter, said “students from the encampment are not responsible for any of the assaults and threats that took place over the last week.”
“While they have been the targets of violence, they have consistently demonstrated their commitment to maintaining a peaceful, safe and welcoming environment inside the camp,” Yap said.
Yap said the encampment is “exemplary,” and the faculty group “has nothing but admiration for them.”
B.C.’s human rights commissioner, Kasari Govender, said on May 6 that campus communities have the right to peaceful and lawful assembly and free expression.
“There must be no place in B.C. for antisemitism, anti-Palestinian racism, Islamophobia or public incitement or wilful promotion of hatred against any group,” Govender said.
“So long as those limits are not violated, universities, colleges and public institutions should stand up for and protect the rights of students, faculty and staff to make their voices heard on campus, including through peaceful encampments.”
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Hall says the university has “maintained a calm and measured approach” to the encampment, but he’s concerned that recent incidents are undermining people’s sense of safety and security, and protest organizers have been “unwilling to engage in a productive dialogue” with university officials.
The school has not sanctioned students, staff or faculty based on their participation in the encampment, but will sanction anyone who threatens or harasses others, damages property, or violates university policies, Hall says.
UBC ‘must remain neutral,’ says president
In response to demands made by organizers of the encampment at the University of British Columbia’s Point Grey campus in Vancouver, president Benoit-Antoine Bacon says the school can’t “presume to speak for everyone.”
Bacon says if the university took a position, it would undermine the rights of people who hold different views to express themselves.
He says the university hopes for a ceasefire and a lasting peace in the Middle East.
A handwritten set of the protesters’ demands shared by Bacon says they want UBC to “condemn and demand an end” to what they call “the genocide in Gaza.”
Other demands include university divestment from companies associated with Israel and its actions in Gaza, a boycott of Israeli institutions, a ban on the RCMP on campus, and an affirmation of “Palestinians’ right to resist.”
Bacon says UBC is willing to discuss divestment, but its endowment fund does not directly own stocks in companies identified by the movement. On the matter of a boycott, he says the university respects faculty members who want to engage in academic partnerships.