U of A, Edmonton police clear out pro-Palestine encampment from campus

The University of Alberta had almost all of the occupants from its pro-Palestine encampment cleared out following a third reading to them of a trespass notice.At the time the encampment cleared, there were about 40 tents and 50 people. “To the best of our knowledge, fewer than 25% of the occupants were University of Alberta students,” said U of A President and Vice-Chancellor Bill Flanagan in a Saturday statement. 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.” Flanagan said the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) assisted with enforcement of the trespass notice under the Trespass to Premises Act. He added it “became critical to enforce the order after communications with the group were not successful and escalating actions put the university community’s safety at risk.”The majority of protestors complied with the order and decamped peacefully from U of A’s property. However, two protestors without any connections to U of A did not comply with the request to vacate and were removed. From the outset, it said clear violations of the law or university policies went beyond the parameters of freedom of expression. It had been explicit community safety was paramount in its decision-making. Over the past two days, it informed the group of the procedures for demonstration and protests on university campuses in writing and verbally. It said protestors were free to protest on university grounds if there were no temporary structures and did not stay overnight. Of great concern, Flanagan said some protestors brought in wood pallets, which are known to be used as barricade-making materials and run counter to peaceful, law-abiding protests. The fire inspector declared the presence of these pallets a fire hazard. As other institutions faced similar situations in the last few weeks, he said people have witnessed how fast they can escalate and become volatile. He pointed out overnight protests often are accompanied by serious violence and amplify risks, as they can attract counterprotestors and outside agitators. While peaceful protests are welcome on its campuses, he acknowledged they must be in accordance with university policies. He said they cannot violate the rule of law and public safety regulations. Flanagan concluded by saying the last two days “have been particularly challenging for many in the university’s diverse community.” He said the activity on its campus was not taken lightly and recognizes there was no easy path for anyone involved. “Our commitment to the safety of our community must remain our top priority,” he said. “Every University of Alberta student, faculty, and staff member has the right to feel secure and welcomed while studying, researching, working, or learning on our campuses.”EPS Media Relations Unit communications advisor Scott Pattison said on Saturday, the Public Safety Unit supported U of A with removing the encampment on its property as per its directive. “This action follows repeated notice to encampment participants by the University that their activities violate University Policy and the Trespass to Premises Act,” said Pattison. “Final notice was provided to protestors by the University at 4:35 am on May 11, 2024.”Following this notice, Pattison said EPS officers arrived on site and protestors were warned again to leave, which led to them being escorted from the property. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said on Friday U of A had to take action on its pro-Palestine encampment. READ MORE: Smith says pro-Palestine encampment at U of A needs to goThis was because the encampment was 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.

U of A, Edmonton police clear out pro-Palestine encampment from campus

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