Smith says pro-Palestine encampment at U of A needs to go

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the University of Alberta has to take action on its pro-Palestine encampment. This is because the encampment is on private property. “I think what they found in Calgary is a large number of the people who were trespassing were not students, and I think we have to be mindful of that,” said Smith at a Friday press conference. “Kids are having graduation ceremonies.” With many of these students, Smith said they did not have high school graduation ceremonies. She added it is “not fair for them or their families to be disrupted.” She expressed gratitude the University of Calgary has cleared its pro-Palestine encampment. While there are appropriate ways to protest, U of C said no camping and students have to be on campus. At the moment, she said she is watching what U of A will do. If it needs assistance, she said the Alberta government is ready to come in. Smith followed up by saying she has seen some of the slogans waved around and that there is no room for antisemitism and hate crimes. “So if it accelerates and escalates out of control and devolves into hate speech, then the universities have to deal with that swiftly,” she said. Around 40 people formed an encampment on U of A’s campus to show support for Palestine amid the Israel-Hamas War on Thursday. READ MORE: UPDATED: About 40 people create pro-Palestine encampment on U of A campus“I’m here in solidarity with the people of Gaza who are facing a genocide that the Canadian government has been complicit of,” said pro-Palestine encampment spokesperson Abraar. “And we’re also here in solidarity with encampments worldwide.” The Calgary Police Service (CPS) said on Friday it had dismantled the pro-Palestine encampment on U of C’s campus after being up for less than one day. READ MORE: WATCH: Riot police dismantle anti-Israel encampment from U of C campusProtesters assembled a makeshift territory with about 20 tents surrounded by wooden skids on the south lawn near MacEwan Hall around 5:30 a.m. on Thursday. Soon after it was assembled, CPS was notified about it by campus security and warned the protesters to leave. CPS estimated what began with about 15 people in the morning grew to 150. Protestors were students and non-students and represented all age groups.

Smith says pro-Palestine encampment at U of A needs to go

Related Stories