B.C. university gives pro-Palestinian protesters trespass notice, deadline to vacate
![UBC protest Vancouver Island University says it has issued a trespass notice to pro-Palestinian protesters, telling them to vacate their encampment on the campus in Nanaimo, B.C., by Monday. People gather and pitch tents at a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver, Monday, April. 29, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2024/7/12/ubc-protest-1-6962064-1720815310435.jpg)
Vancouver Island University says it has issued a trespass notice to pro-Palestinian protesters, telling them to vacate their encampment on the campus in Nanaimo, B.C., by Monday.
The university says in a statement the notice was issued Thursday and if protesters aren't gone by 8 a.m. Monday the university will "take all legal steps necessary to remove them."
It says it will start legal action seeking an injunction against the camp and damages from protesters if the camp isn't dismantled by the deadline.
It says the camp that has been in place since May 1 has posed "unprecedented challenges" and the university must prioritize the safety and peace for all people on campus.
The move comes after a court in Ontario granted an injunction against a protest camp at the University of Toronto, leading to protesters leaving, which Vancouver Island University notes in its statement.
A protest camp at the University of B.C. in Vancouver was vacated by protesters voluntarily last week.
The Canadian Press sought comment from the Vancouver Island University protest organizers by email and through social media but did not immediately receive a response.
"VIU had been hopeful the encampment could be resolved through dialogue between the university and student participants," says the statement on the Vancouver Island University website.
"It has become evident that it is not realistic to continue to anticipate that the encampment can be resolved in this way."
The university says it issued a previous trespass notice on May 2.
It says activity by protesters "prevents us from maintaining the inclusivity and safety we promise to uphold, where everyone can study or work in a secure and respectful environment."
It says these actions have included occupations of university buildings and vandalism.
The camp is among a number of such protest sites at universities in Canada and the United States.
The protesters against the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza have been demanding that universities cut financial and academic ties with Israeli firms and institutions.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 12, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.7010097.1724329123!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Rail work stoppage shuts down some Ontario, Quebec, B.C. commuter rail lines
Bewildered commuters were turned away from shuttered rail lines on Thursday as an unprecedented railway lockout upset travel plans for more than 30,000 daily riders in some of Canada's largest cities.
Former U.S. ambassador to Canada gives 'tsunami warning' about Trump
A former United States ambassador to Canada is sounding the alarm that a second Donald Trump presidency would cause chaos for Canadians as he urged Americans abroad that their votes could prove crucial in the presidential election.
The first person in Canada to legally access 'magic mushroom' therapy has died at age 56
A Saskatoon man who became a trailblazer for psilocybin-assisted therapy, using a psychedelic drug commonly known as magic mushrooms, has died at age 56.
Body of British tech magnate Mike Lynch is among those recovered from yacht wreckage, officials say
The Italian coast guard said Thursday the body of British tech magnate Mike Lynch is among those recovered off the coast of Sicily from the wreckage of a superyacht whose builders had called it unsinkable.
Fluoride at twice the recommended limit is linked to lower IQ in kids, U.S. report says
A U.S. government report expected to stir debate concluded that fluoride in drinking water at twice the recommended limit is linked with lower IQ in children.
Video shows swimmer bringing man to safety near Vancouver's Stanley Park
An avid swimmer insists he did not rescue a man he spotted floating in Vancouver’s English Bay – he just happened to be in the right place at the right time, and offered a helping hand.
DEVELOPING 9,300 employees locked out: Latest updates on shutdown of Canada's 2 largest railways
In a first for Canada, freight traffic on its two largest railways has simultaneously ground to a halt, threatening to upend supply chains trying to move forward from pandemic-related disruptions and a port strike last year.
Child's phone catches fire in Cambridge, Ont. movie theatre
A mother was left shaken after her 11-year-old's cellphone suddenly caught fire while he was in a movie theatre.
CUPE calls for Fred Hahn's resignation following social media post
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) passed a motion requesting national vice-president Fred Hahn's resignation following a recent social media post he shared.