Pro-Palestinian encampment coming to the University of Manitoba next week

A pro-Palestinian encampment is expected to be set up at the University of Manitoba next week, in light of similar protests across Canada and the United States.

According to online posts, the encampment will take place at the U of M’s Fort Garry campus quad in Winnipeg from May 7 to 9, running from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day.

The three-day event will be hosted by U of M students advocating for justice in Palestine in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Organizers are asking participants to stand together “in solidarity with land defenders globally.”

The planned encampment at the U of M is part of a growing movement across post-secondary campuses in North America, with some resulting in violent clashes between protesters, counter-protesters and police. The rallies initially began at Columbia University in New York in response to Israel’s retaliation following a deadly attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.

According to the social media posts, the encampment at the U of M is not open to the general public and only students who attend the university are allowed to participate.

The group’s demands include implementing safety measures for all Palestinian students to protect them against harassment, as well as allowing students to engage in activities supporting Palestine “without fear of unwarranted academic or legal consequences.”

Organizers are also calling on the university to “join the global academic boycott of Israeli institutions complicit in violations of human rights,” and cease any operations and exchange programs with Hebrew University of Jerusalem, as it is “located in a highly contested area.”

Other demands include:

• Divesting from companies “that are verifiably complicit in the oppression and discriminatory policies against Palestinians”
• Discontinuing the “Arab Israeli Conflict” course, since it is “structured in a manner that perpetuates a biased narrative and glaringly omits comprehensive Palestinian viewpoints”
• Issuing a public statement of support for Palestinian rights
• Terminating university-sponsored Birthright trips to Israel

In a statement to CTV News, the university said it is aware of next week’s planned encampment.

“UM supports academic freedom, the rights of our entire campus community to engage in freedom of expression and the right to assemble and protest, in accordance with university policies and the law,” the statement reads.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and Jewish Federation of Winnipeg issued its own statement on the matter, saying both organizations are working with U of M, as well as the Winnipeg Police Service “to ensure the safety of Jewish students on campus.” They will also be monitoring any incidents of antisemitism and hate speech.