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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump confronts repeated boos during raucous Libertarian convention speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.
Man or machine? Toronto company finds a way to determine how real audio clips are
The Toronto-based research arm of life sciences technology firm Klick Health has found a way to analyze voices in a manner that’s so granular, it can tell whether it's a person or an artificial intelligence-powered machine.
Family of toddler found dead at small-town Ont. daycare no closer to answers after year of investigation
A year has passed since two-year-old Vienna Irwin was found on the property of a home-based daycare in small-town Ontario, but her family says they are no closer to answers of what happened that day.
Fire at a baby care centre kills 7 infants in India's capital, a fire officer says
A fire broke out in a baby care center in India's capital Saturday night, killing seven infants, a fire service officer said.
More seniors are using homeless shelters. Here's why, according to experts
One of the country’s homeless shelters has seen an uptick in the number of people through its doors, including more older adults over 50.
The death toll in Kharkiv attack rises to 14 as Zelenskyy warns of Russian troop movements
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Sunday that Russia is preparing to intensify its offensive along Ukraine's northern border, as the death toll rose to 14 in an aerial bomb attack on a large construction supplies store in the city of Kharkiv.
Grayson Murray, two-time PGA Tour winner, dead at 30
Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels freed over 100 war prisoners, the Red Cross says
The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen on Sunday released more than 100 war prisoners linked to the country’s long-running conflict, the International Committee of the Red Cross said.
No sign Canada has a plan to reach NATO defence spending target: U.S. NATO ambassador
The U.S. ambassador to NATO says she has seen no indication that Canada has a plan to reach the NATO spending target of two per cent of GDP on defence.