Pro-Palestinian encampment dismantled at Vancouver Island University after 110 days

A pro-Palestinian encampment at Vancouver Island University (VIU) was dismantled on Sunday morning, 72 hours after the B.C. Supreme Court granted the university an injunction ordering its removal.

Protesters had until 9:30 a.m. to clear the encampment filled with tents, tarpaulins and signs, which had occupied the campus quadrangle in Nanaimo, B.C. for more than 100 days. 

As university workers dressed in hazmat suits began dismantling the site, student protester Sarah Kishawi criticized VIU’s decision to seek a court order rather than engaging in dialogue with its students.

Kshawi said it’s something protesters will have to live with “knowing that our institution that we attend, the one we are going to graduate from and the one that some people have already graduated from, took this approach rather than just speaking to their students.”

The encampment at VIU was one of many that sprang up on campuses in both Canada and the United States in response to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, with participants demanding universities cut financial and academic ties with firms and institutions linked to Israel.

Similar protest encampments in B.C. were vacated this summer at the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia.

On July 15, the Nanaimo-based university initiated a lawsuit against the organizers of the encampment, seeking an injunction and damages. The university argued that the encampment was a constant presence, with as many as 35 people occupying the area at times, and that it created a sense of unease among staff and students.

But Kishawi says the university didn’t suffer any harm and used the courts to deny them the right to free speech.

“It places private property over the Charter,” she said of the ruling.

Last week, the B.C. Supreme Court granted the university an injunction to remove the encampment, but modified its original request, which the court deemed “overbroad.” The court order specifically targeted the grassy quadrangle, rather than the entire campus, and prohibited any further encampments in that area for 150 days.

Despite the dismantling, Kishawi says she is optimistic about the impact of their efforts. 

“This has put light on what’s happening in Gaza,” she said. 

The decampment process attracted not only students but also members of the local community and faculty, who came out to support the protestors.

Melissa Stephens, an English professor, said she is proud of the student protestors for raising their voice.

“They’ve been peaceful, they’ve been informed and compassionate and I’ll never forget them,” Stephens told CBC News.

Sarah Lovegrove, a nursing professor, said she is concerned about the university’s handling of the situation.

“I am disappointed at the amount of money being spent by administration on the security measures and other enforcement measures at the university when we’re in such a financial deficit,” Lovegrove said. 

The university has yet to respond to Sunday’s developments. But the school issued a statement last week saying while it respects the right to peaceful protest, the court order ensures the campus quad is returned to the community and “prevents any individual group from occupying a shared space for extended periods of time to promote a single perspective.” 

While the encampment may be gone, the students have signalled their fight is far from over. A message left on the ground where the encampment once stood read: “See you in 150 days,” referencing the duration of the court injunction.