Pro-Palestinian demonstration at UW served notice to end encampment ‘immediately’

A formal notice has been given to the student organizers of a Pro-Palestinian encampment on the University of Waterloo campus, instructing demonstrators to end their encampment “immediately” and dismantle all structures.

The notice, served on May 20, argues that the encampment has violated multiple university policies and engaged in prohibited activities, including installing flags, banners and plywood barricades without permission or authorization. The university has also requested to inspect the encampment for safety compliance, but have been refused.

Copies of the notice have been delivered to organizers of the protest, and posted on poles surrounding the encampment.

A spokesperson for the university told CityNews Kitchener that the notice is “not a legal eviction document and it should also not be considered a legal instrument.”

“They gave us a pretty ham-fisted attempt at giving us a bunch of policies and even laws that were supposedly violating,” said one media liaison for Occupy Waterloo, Nicholas Joseph. “There are currently faculty that are currently disputing this and even legal professionals disputing this. I think its absolutely ridiculous what they are doing. They refuse to engage with our demands.”

Occupy Waterloo took over the Grad House Green on University Avenue last Monday. They have unofficially renamed the space “Gaza House” and have no plans to move until their demands are met.

“More people have been killed in Gaza in the past seven months than there are students in the entire student body of the University of Waterloo,” said Joseph. “We are here fighting for our people’s liberation who are currently facing genocide. We are not moving until our demands our met. I don’t know what this nonsense is about, but I think its quite immature.”

Occupy Waterloo launched their Instagram account last week and have since garnered over 3,000 followers. Joseph said they have received many donations and support from students visiting the encampment.

“The university uses these tactics to try and intimidate us,” alleged Joseph, as he said demonstrators aren’t going to leave because of “bold text and underlines.”

“Our demands are quite simple – we want the university to disclose its investments and to divest from all institutions complicit in the ongoing genocide, and to institute a formal academic boycott against all Israel institutions until this genocide ends,” said Joseph.

“The people of Gaza need us right now and I think we have to keep fighting until they reach their liberation.”

A full statement from the University of Waterloo in regards to the formal notice given to the students is below.

“We are focused on protecting the rights of everyone on campus, including the rights to protest.  That said, the rights to freedom of expression are not absolute.  The University of Waterloo has a duty to uphold the rights of everyone, and a duty to uphold its own policies and the law.

With this in mind, on Monday, May 20, 2024, the University informed members of the encampment in writing that the presence of the encampment located on Grad House Green is in violation of several items listed on our list of prohibited activities (published online and on signs posted around the campus on Tuesday, May 14, 2024) as well as in violation of various University of Waterloo policies.

To note, this notice is not a legal eviction document and it should also not be considered a legal instrument.

We have informed the members of the encampment we require them to end the encampment immediately and to dismantle all structures they’ve erected on the Grad House Green. We have published our notice of these policy violations online and around the encampment.

The University has been clear that the encampment located on Grad House Green cannot remain indefinitely. After the encampment ends, and like we did before the encampment started, we will continue to protect community members right to protest, assemble, associate, and exercise their rights to freedom of expression.”

Joseph said the students at the encampment are open to conversations with the university in the future.