With portable toilets and barricades, Gaza protest camp at UBC digs in for long haul
Pro-Palestinian protesters camped out at the University of British Columbia's Vancouver campus are bringing in water, food and other supplies in preparation to stay as long as it takes the school to accept their demands.
The encampment that went up Monday has since grown to about 30 tents, with some filled with large quantities of bottled water, food and bedding, while two portable toilets have also been brought in.
A protest spokesman, who would only identify himself as Kevin, said he and others will not leave until their demands are met. Those demands include an academic boycott of Israeli universities and that UBC divests itself from Israeli companies that they say are complicit in “oppression and genocide” of Palestinians.
“I'm pretty confident we can stay as long as it takes,” said Kevin, who identified himself as a second-year student at UBC.
“Everybody here is talking to each other, supporting each other. And we have plenty of food, plenty of water. We're here as long as our demands aren't met.”
The protest at UBC follows a wave of similar rallies and encampments protesting Israel's offensive in Gaza at universities across North America, including at McGill University in Montreal.
There was no visible RCMP presence outside the camp, and a police spokesman directed comments to UBC, which said updated comments on the situation would be released later Tuesday.
The response came as school officials at McGill said that they have asked Montreal police to dismantle the camp there because activists are refusing to leave. Police said they are evaluating different avenues to respond to the university's request.
At UBC, about 80 protesters have erected makeshift barriers around the field where they've pitched their tents, using materials ranging from metal fences secured with zip ties and overturned picnic tables to piles of wood pallets and traffic barricades fastened with ropes and bungee cords.
Palestinian flags and banners displaying slogans such as “free Palestine,” hang near the protest site.
A UBC spokesman had said Monday that the protesters have not been given permission to erect barriers, and the school is in contact with police to monitor the situation.
“Of course, it's hard to not notice...the other movements in North America and also the tensions mounting at McGill so far,” Kevin said, noting that officials have deactivated power outlets in and around the field where the encampment is located.
“Even though the police presence from the university hasn't been great and they've been pretty hostile toward us, I'm still pretty confident, how we've been dealing with it pretty well. And the camp is still alive and well.”
Inside the camp Tuesday, the atmosphere was festive with music playing and people sitting on lawn chairs or in tents chatting among themselves.
Among the protest banners was a sign notifying attendees of escorts available to the washrooms in nearby school buildings, reminding people that they would need to check in again to re-enter the encampment.
Outside the camp, people wearing Uber Eats shirts are handing out coupons to those passing by, including protesters coming in and out of the camp.
On Monday, B.C. Premier David Eby had called on both the school and student leaders to balance the right to free speech on campus and the need for personal safety for people of all backgrounds.
The Israel-Hamas conflict was sparked by the Hamas Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel where about 1,200 people were killed and some 250 people were taken as hostage.
Israel says the militants are still holding around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others, while the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, and about two-thirds of those fatalities are children and women.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Serial sexual offender linked to unsolved 1970s homicides of four Calgary girls, women
An investigation into unsolved historical homicides from the 1970s has linked the deaths of two girls and two young women in and around Calgary to a now-deceased serial offender.
Scottie Scheffler isn't the first pro golfer to be arrested during a tournament
Scottie Scheffler's arrest hours before his second-round tee time at the PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, will go down as one of the most shocking in professional golf history. It certainly wasn't the first, though.
NEW What a wildfire survivor says she regrets not grabbing before leaving home
Carol Christian had 15 minutes to evacuate her home during the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016. She ended up losing the house and everything inside. Now, she wants to share the lessons she learned.
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
B.C. man 'attacked suddenly' by adult grizzly near Alberta border: RCMP
A B.C. man is recovering from multiple injuries after he was "attacked suddenly" by an adult grizzly bear near Elkford Thursday afternoon.
Canadian convicted of attacking Nancy Pelosi's husband with a hammer sentenced to 30 years
The man convicted of attempting to kidnap then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacking her husband with a hammer was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison.
World No. 1 golfer charged with police officer assault before PGA Championship second round
World number one golfer Scottie Scheffler was arrested and charged with the assault of a police officer in what he called a 'chaotic situation' before being released in time to start his second round at the PGA Championship on Friday.
Australia's richest woman seeks removal of her portrait from exhibition
Art is subjective. And while many artists long to share their work with the world, there's no guarantee that the audience will understand it, or even like it.
B.C. optometrist warns against trending eye colour change procedure
A medical procedure that can permanently change a person's eye colour may be trending on social media, but a B.C. optometrist is warning about the significant risks associated.