On-campus Western University protesters say they’re leaving

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Mere days shy of the two-month mark, the pro-Palestine encampment that has enflamed tensions on Western University’s campus is coming down, protesters say.

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The encampment – in place since May 8 – is being dismantled, members of the protest group, the Western Divestment Coalition, said on Saturday, roughly in line with the timeline demanded by the school’s president, Alan Shepard, in something of an ultimatum issued earlier this week.

The student-led group made the announcement during a rally Saturday afternoon, arguing Western administration had shown “they are done negotiating” with protesters.

“They’ve made it very clear that the encampment must come to an end before the (end of the) weekend, and they’ve made it very clear that if the students do not voluntarily pull down the encampment, that they’re going to go after people that have participated,” said Mahmoud, a student who acted as an MC for the rally.

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Mahmoud, who did not give his last name, alleges the university issued one member a trespassing notice, which the group interpreted as evidence Western was looking at options to dismantle the camp. Shepard has said the school won’t discipline participants if they “voluntarily remove” the camp by Sunday night.

It was recently estimated by one protester that roughly three dozen people were sleeping there in tents nightly. All tents have now been removed.

Though largely peaceful, there was growing tension over the encampment outside the University Community Centre. Last week, protesters brought in construction material to fortify the camp while school officials accused protesters of “egregious” conduct in damaging a nearby washroom.

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Akin to protests on other university campuses across North America, the one at Western was focused on the Israeli war with Hamas-controlled Gaza, which began in response to the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel. The group urged Western officials to cut economic ties with Israel and any companies linked to the conflict.

It appears school officials made no such agreement, given the protesters’ statement on Saturday: “Our commitment to divestment remains firm. We will not give up or give in until Western abides by the ethical investment standards it claims to uphold.”

David Heap is an associate professor at Western University. He said students wished to continue pressing for their goals while avoiding any possible judicial or police crackdowns.

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“The students didn’t want to face police repression or legal repression, they want to remain free to be able to come back and continue to press for the community goals of divestment,” he said.

Both Mahmoud and Heap promised their groups will continue pressing the university using different tactics and attending future events. The student coalition also called on Western to retract any trespassing notices and to keep their commitment to not punish protesters.

Officials with Western were not immediately available for comment Saturday. In a statement Friday evening, the university said the student group rejected an offer of undisclosed actions the school was willing to take, and charged that instances of assault, intimidation and vandalism were taking place at the encampment.

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Protests at other Ontario universities appear to be ending. At the University of Toronto, protesters dismantled their camp three days ago when faced with a court injunction to clear out or risk being arrested. At the University of Waterloo, school officials have filed a $1.5-million lawsuit against protesters, alleging their presence has caused the school “significant harm and damages,” including costs for property repairs and security, and negatively affected its ability to attract and retain students and faculty.

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