Second B.C. university issues trespass notice to pro-Palestinian protesters

Tents in the Palestinian solidarity encampment at the University of Victoria. (CTV News)

The University of Victoria in British Columbia says it has told the pro-Palestinian protesters at an on-campus encampment that they are trespassing, setting the stage for the camp's removal.

The protesters say on their group social media page that the university administration has told them to "vacate by 8 a.m. Monday," but add in a separate post that they are planning a rally at the camp instead.

The university says in its latest encampment update that it has "taken a calm, measured and reasoned approach" to the protest since it was set up on May 1, but administrators "see no further prospect for a successful dialogue."

In response, protesters naming themselves "People's Park UVIC" confirm on social media that the school has issued them a trespass notice, but add that the group is planning a "trespass breakfast" at the deadline time and calling for supporters to attend.

The latest development comes about a week after Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, B.C. launched legal action against protesters there for allegedly ignoring a deadline to leave their camp after issuing a trespass notice on July 11.

Protesters at the university have been demanding the school cut financial and academic ties with Israeli entities due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, and the school says it had been working toward "a peaceful conclusion of the encampment" since June.

"Unfortunately, we have not successfully achieved agreement on the process and timeline for decampment," the school update says. "The university was disappointed to learn of this impasse through social media posts from People’s Park UVic."

The protest group has asked supporters on its social media page to attend a "trespass breakfast" Monday, providing map directions to help people make their way to the encampment.

The group has not responded to requests for comment via email and social media.

"Expect police presence," the social media message from the group says. "Mask up. The more who show up, the safer we will be."

The group says in a separate post that protesters "have negotiated in good faith" but described the school's last proposed resolution as having "no concrete commitments" and containing "ineffective policy" that fails to address what they are calling a genocide in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The group also reposted a statement from July 19, saying it is "unfortunately no surprise to once again witness our administration betraying the integrity of this process and emphasizing that these negotiations have been and always will be on their terms."

A camp at the University of British Columbia was vacated by protesters voluntarily on July 7.

The recent developments come after an Ontario court granted the University of Toronto an injunction on July 2 that ordered protesters there to dismantle their encampment on the grounds that it is a violation of the school's property rights.

Legal experts have said the decision sets a powerful precedent and creates a road map for other schools to follow in seeking legal recourse in removing protest encampments on campus.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2024.