University of Alberta students in Edmonton have joined students around the world condemning the war in Gaza and demanding their institution divest from Israel.
A camp began forming on Thursday on the university’s north campus and grew slightly overnight.
Signs hung by protesters read “Land back” and “Demand the end of genocide in Palestine.”
“Seeing the the scenes coming out of Columbia and the students calling out the university for their complicity in the genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza, that definitely inspired me and that made me feel really proud that humanity is not dead,” media spokesperson Abraar Alsilwadi told CTV News Edmonton on Thursday.
“This is just day one and it’s already a decent amount. We’re expecting a lot more people to come and hopefully we’re able to cover the whole quad.”
The university said it is in “open and ongoing communication” with the group and that its main concern is safety of its entire community.
“Academic freedom and freedom of expression are the foundations of the university. The U of A’s Statement on Freedom of Expression reinforces our commitment to free expression in all forms of communication, including non-violent protest and dissent. Even in cases where some may find the expression offensive or disturbing, we recognize the right to criticize and question,” president Bill Flanagan said in a statement.
“However, any action that impedes the university’s core business of teaching and learning—or violates the law or policies of the university—goes beyond the parameters of freedom of expression. In particular, the university will not tolerate hate speech or calls for violence.”
This is a developing news story. More to come…