University of Waterloo encampment set to end Sunday after 8-week protest
Following eight weeks of protests on the University of Waterloo campus, members of Occupy UWaterloo informed the school they will be voluntarily decamping on Sunday at 8 p.m.
The pro-Palestinian encampment has resided on the grassy area beside the Graduate House since May 13.
The student-led group posted a notice on social media on Saturday, saying it’s members will not be returning.
This comes after the University of Waterloo’s administration began legal proceedings to seek an injunction to end the on-campus encampment.
The university also issued a legal trespass notice to encampment members after it had sent out a formal notice on May 23 telling them to end the protest.
According to a post by the group on social media, the university is dropping its $1.5-million lawsuit against encampment members following community pressure.
“The university has agreed to withdraw its claim and injunction proceeding once the encampment is vacated,” Occupy UWaterloo’s post says.
Officials with the group say its goal has been to persuade the university to divest from any company that supports Israel as the war against Hamas in Gaza continues — reaching the end of its ninth month on Sunday.
Similar encampments have also ended at McMaster University in Hamilton and at the University of Toronto.
Meanwhile, the administration at McGill University in Montreal has said it will no longer negotiate with protesters and is planning to take disciplinary action.
