Gaza protest encampment remains on Edmonton campus after Calgary sit-in ended by police

A field protestation encampment astatine nan University of Alberta was ramping up a time aft a akin sit-in in Calgary was unopen down amid nan large sound and haze of flashbang explosives arsenic constabulary fought pinch demonstrators.

On nan cardinal grassy area of nan Edmonton field Friday, astir 35 mini tents were group up adjacent together. There were Palestinian flags, some cloth versions and hand-painted cardboard ones.

Early-rising demonstrators, astir successful their early 20s, sipped java arsenic nan sun rose, chatting successful campy chairs underneath an awning.

Nearby was a handwritten motion reminding protesters to support nan attraction connected solidarity pinch Gaza and to nonstop each media to designated spokespeople.

There were aggregate handmade signs and slogans: Our Tuition Funds Genocide; Silence is Violence; Welcome to nan People’s University for Palestine; and From Edmonton to Gaza Globalize nan Intifada.

Clutches of summer-school students shouldering backpacks walked by, pinch a fewer breaking stride to spot what was going on.

“At nan very opening yesterday, it was 1 shelter and 4 people. And it has conscionable grown and grown and grown since then,” said David Kahane, 1 of nan protestation organizers.

Kahane, a governmental subject professor connected campus, said nan protestation is astir students holding their ain institution to relationship successful nan “slaughter that is happening successful nan West Bank and Gaza.”

Kahane said they want answers connected whether Israel — and done it nan Israeli subject — benefits financially done assemblage investments. If nan assemblage is investing, those investments must stop, he said.

He said students are inspired by time-honoured protestation methods and that field protests and calls for divestment helped extremity nan racist apartheid strategy successful South Africa.

“They want to telephone for accountability from their ain university,” said Kahane.

The assemblage has warned protesters that while it respects free speech, they are trespassing.

There was nary visible information unit from nan assemblage and nary constabulary Friday morning, and Kahane said he hopes it stays that way

“It’s day-by-day, waiting and seeing really nan assemblage chooses to respond,” he said.

“For nan moment, I deliberation wisely, they person simply fto this serene encampment for justness be.

“I dream they proceed connected that track.”

The protestation is 1 of respective caller demonstrations connected world campuses successful Canada and nan United States successful consequence to Israel’s violative successful Gaza.

In Calgary, a akin protestation of tents and fences went up early Thursday astatine nan University of Calgary, reaching a highest of astir 150 demonstrators by nan early evening.

The assemblage said protesters astatine nan encampment were trespassing and asked for thief from police, who arrived successful riot cogwheel and issued aggregate warnings for nan crowd to disperse earlier starting to tear down fencing and tents.

Most protesters near but immoderate who remained were met pinch shields and flashbang explosives successful clashes adjacent to midnight.