Sunday, July 5, 2026
ADVT 
National

Pro-Palestinian protesters dismantle UBC camp

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 08 Jul, 2024 05:10 PM
  • Pro-Palestinian protesters dismantle UBC camp

A pro-Palestinian protest camp that had occupied a sports field at the University of British Columbia's Vancouver campus for more than two months has been dismantled by the demonstrators.

Dozens of tents had been removed by Monday, although barricades and fencing around the site remain in place.

A statement from UBC says "protesters decamped from MacInnes Field" adjacent to the school's transit loop and student union building on Sunday, but did not elaborate. 

A spokeswoman for the protest camp confirmed in a text message that it had closed.

A UBC security guard at MacInnes Field who declined to be named said the protesters vacated the site without giving any notice on Sunday evening.

Guards were patrolling the area Monday to prevent unauthorized people from entering the field while they waited for cleanup crews to arrive.

On Friday, more than 35 tents and a small handful of people were visible at the site that had been occupied since late April by protesters demanding that UBC end any financial or academic ties with Israeli companies or institutions.

A spokeswoman for Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, B.C., said it had no update on a protest camp there. The University of Victoria did not respond to requests for updates on an encampment at its campus.

The low-key closure of the UBC camp came after another protest site at the University of Toronto was vacated last week. That came after a judge ruled in favour of an injunction sought by the school to clear the camp.

Ontario Superior Court Justice Markus Koehnen ruled the encampment took away the school’s ability to control what happened on its properties. The result, Koehnen said, amounted to irreparable harm.

"In our society, we have decided that the owner of property generally gets to decide what happens on the property," Koehnen’s decision said.

University of Ottawa professor Michael Geist had said the Ontario decision could act as a road map for other schools looking to remove protest camps. He said its reliance on property law meant schools could issue trespass notices to protesters before starting the legal process of clearing them out.

Protesters at several Canadian schools including UBC issued a joint statement on social media last week calling the Ontario decision "shameful" for prioritizing property ownership over students' rights.

The statement said protesters would "continue to act on our campuses and apply pressure to our universities through every possible avenue."

The UBC camp once included about 75 tents and was bustling with music and activity, but at one point on Friday only three people could be seen inside the fenced zone.

Vancouver Island University had said in a statement last week after the Ontario court decision that it was "exploring similar legal avenues taken by other institutions."

The school said about 25 protesters occupied a school building in late June and disrupted an exam, while another building was vandalized over the Canada Day long weekend.

Vancouver Island University said its settlement proposal to the protesters had been rejected, and the escalation of disruptions on campus shows "encampment participants are unwilling to engage in good-faith dialogue."

MORE National ARTICLES

Health Canada approves updated Moderna vaccine for COVID-19

Health Canada approves updated Moderna vaccine for COVID-19
Health Canada has authorized the use of an updated Moderna vaccine for COVID-19 for all Canadians over the age of six months. The new vaccine targets the XBB.1.5 variant of the virus that causes COVID-19.  

Health Canada approves updated Moderna vaccine for COVID-19

Delayed by plane troubles, Canada's PM Trudeau finally heading home from India

Delayed by plane troubles, Canada's PM Trudeau finally heading home from India
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau finally left India on Tuesday after technical issues with a government aircraft delayed his departure by two days. Trudeau and the Canadian delegation that attended the G20 leaders' summit in New Delhi was set to depart for Ottawa on Sunday, but the plane was grounded over an issue discovered during pre-flight checks.

Delayed by plane troubles, Canada's PM Trudeau finally heading home from India

Teacher in Creston charged with multiple sex offences against two students.

Teacher in Creston charged with multiple sex offences against two students.
A British Columbia high school teacher has been charged with multiple sexual offences against two students, as well as harassment and extortion. Mounties say a teacher from Kootenay River Secondary School in Creston was charged on Sept. 8 and has been released with numerous conditions, including a ban on contact with the alleged victims.   

Teacher in Creston charged with multiple sex offences against two students.

Sask. premier accuses Trudeau of risking trade with India, hiding status of talks

Sask. premier accuses Trudeau of risking trade with India, hiding status of talks
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's government is accusing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of damaging relations with India and keeping the provinces in the dark about trade talks. In a letter Moe released Monday, Saskatchewan Trade Minister Jeremy Harrison argued Trudeau is picking a fight with India for domestic political gain and risking access to one of his province's most important export markets.  

Sask. premier accuses Trudeau of risking trade with India, hiding status of talks

Collision involving police cruiser

Collision involving police cruiser
Two Vancouver Police officers and a driver were sent to hospital this morning after a collision between an unmarked police car and a private vehicle. Police say on the social media site X that all three had non-life-threatening injuries.

Collision involving police cruiser

Surrey councillor says to move past back and forth on Surrey police transition

Surrey councillor says to move past back and forth on Surrey police transition
A Surrey councillor says it's time the city's mayor and supporters "get past" their opposition to the Surrey Police Service and lead Surrey and its police board toward a transition away from the R-C-M-P. Mayor Brenda Locke opposes the switch to a municipal force but councillor Linda Annis says "that ship has sailed," and urges Locke to work quickly on the hand over.

Surrey councillor says to move past back and forth on Surrey police transition