Tuesday, July 7, 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

Man's body found inside burned vehicle in Edmonton, police say

Man's body found inside burned vehicle in Edmonton, police say
Police say officers responded to a call around 12:30 a.m. Friday about a burning vehicle. They say that once the fire was extinguished, the body of a man was found inside. Police say the death is considered suspicious.  

Man's body found inside burned vehicle in Edmonton, police say

Man dies of stabbing in Downtown

Man dies of stabbing in Downtown
Officers responded to Granville and Smithe just before 3:30 this morning for a report that a man had been stabbed. The 32-year-old victim was rushed to hospital by paramedics, but died from his injuries.  

Man dies of stabbing in Downtown

Telus slashes 6000 jobs

Telus slashes 6000 jobs
Vancouver-based Telecom giant Telus is reporting a dismal second quarter and it's responding by cutting six-thousand jobs -- just under six per cent of its workforce. Telus says four-thousand jobs will be cut from its main operations while a further two-thousand jobs will be trimmed at Telus International.  

Telus slashes 6000 jobs

Researcher warns against intervention as B.C. port workers conclude contract vote

Researcher warns against intervention as B.C. port workers conclude contract vote
The tentative contract between the union and the BC Maritime Employers Association was announced on Sunday, a day after federal Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board to impose a deal or binding arbitration if it decides a negotiated resolution isn't possible.  

Researcher warns against intervention as B.C. port workers conclude contract vote

Unemployment rate up for 3rd straight month

Unemployment rate up for 3rd straight month
The jobless rate went up for a third straight month in July, rising to 5.5 per cent as the economy struggles to create enough jobs to match Canada's rapidly rising population. Statistics Canada reports the economy lost 64-hundred jobs.

Unemployment rate up for 3rd straight month

Health Canada approves first RSV vaccine for adults age 60 and over

Health Canada approves first RSV vaccine for adults age 60 and over
Health Canada has approved the first vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) for adults age 60 and over. Manufacturer GSK says the federal agency has approved its new vaccine called Arexvy.  RSV season in Canada usually starts in the late fall and lasts until spring.  

Health Canada approves first RSV vaccine for adults age 60 and over