Pro-Palestinian Encampment Established at University of Calgary
A student-led pro-Palestinian encampment was established at the University of Calgary on Thursday morning, joining dozens of similar protests on campuses across Canada and the United States.
The Calgary Student Movement, which is leading the encampment, is demanding that the university divest from all corporations involved in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, and condemn Israel’s actions towards Palestinians.
The encampment, called the Mohkinstsis Liberated Zone, will stay in place until the university meets the group’s demands. The group is also calling on the university to disclose its ties to the Israeli government and to divest from Israeli universities.
The encampment at the University of Calgary joins hundreds of students across Canada and the U.S. who have set up encampments and called on their schools to take action in support of Palestine. Similar protests and encampments have been held at the University of Toronto, McGill University, the University of British Columbia, the University of Ottawa, and Western University, among others.
“We are here to demonstrate our solidarity with the people of Palestine and confident that the university will meet our demands soon,” said Ryn LaRoux, one of the spokespeople for Calgary Student Movement. “UCalgary should be a place of learning and community and not be invested in genocidal violence. There are no functioning universities left in Gaza and students just like us are being killed every day. This has to stop.”
The University of Calgary has not yet commented on the encampment. However, Justice for Palestinians Calgary, a local activist group, has expressed its solidarity with the students. “These student-led encampments continue a legacy of powerful resistance against imperialism,” the group said in a social media post. “Justice for Palestinians Calgary condemns all acts of racism and violence against any student or faculty member, including their labelling as antisemitic for participating in any action in fighting for the liberation of Palestine.”
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a complex and long-standing issue with no easy solutions. However, the students at the University of Calgary are sending a clear message that they believe the university has a responsibility to take action to support peace and justice in the region.
