Hundreds of faculty and students condemned the attack on protesters at the U of C

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Hundreds of faculty, students and alumni have signed an open letter condemning police violence against Palestinian protesters on campus and calling for the resignation of the University of Calgary.

A letter to U.S. President Ed McCauley has been signed by 623 people, including a 67-year-old woman who said she was severely beaten by Calgary police on May 9 when officers in riot gear cleared the campus of protesters. university leaders are looking for an answer to why they sanctioned the action.

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“We… view the protest as a 'socially oriented global education project' and the actions of the university administration as a betrayal of the values ​​of higher education as a space for critical thinking, academic freedom and the pursuit of equality, justice and social transformation.” “, said the May 21 letter, written by the U of C Faculty for Palestine.

“We join the greater Alberta community in calling on you as president and vice-chancellor to publicly comment on these actions and outline the steps UCalgary will take to ensure that peaceful protests are not retaliated with such violence. »

Those behind the letter, noting that the 125 signatories signed it anonymously, “refer to the culture of fear and intimidation that the university administration has created through its actions over the past few weeks.

The protesters demanded that the US cut all financial ties to Israel because of the country's seven-month invasion of Gaza and 57 years of military occupation of the Palestinian territory, which they and human rights groups describe as apartheid.

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Police used pepper spray and flash

On the morning of May 9, student activists set up an encampment of about 20 tents on the lawn south of McEwan Hall and were quickly told by U of C officials and police that their presence was trespassing and should cease.

Later that evening, a large number of police arrived and knocked down part of a wooden pallet barricade set up by the protesters and threw away several of their tents.

This led to a standoff that lasted nearly three hours, during which the journalist allegedly threw two plastic water bottles at the police.

After the activists tried to tear down all their tents and move their supplies off campus, police, who had issued multiple warnings of arrest if the protesters did not leave, attacked about 20 people who were chanting peacefully at gunpoint. .

Police subsequently used pepper spray and flares to chase away both protesters and journalists, but said there were no casualties and that their actions were justified by the throwing of projectiles and constant warnings.

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Annette Lengel, a University of C graduate and signer of the letter, said her hands were covered in blood from a police shield, an officer hit her on the side of the head with a baton, and her right leg was injured by the flash.

Eight days later, he developed large bruises on his head and legs.

“We were protesting peacefully for a righteous cause, and I felt a connection to the Palestinian people that this kind of violence could affect us,” said Lengel, 67, who said he suffered nerve damage in his right hand.

Lengel said she tried to protect another woman on the protest line who suffered a broken rib during the attack.

She decided to stay with the rest of the activist group, she said, “because the kids need someone to testify.”

The U of C says the camp poses a safety risk

Five protesters were arrested and later released, three of whom were ticketed under the Trespassing Act.

The letter to McCauley calls for the tickets to be withdrawn and for U of C officials to follow a policy of “non-violent and minimal police presence in peaceful demonstrations to ensure the safety of students rather than prioritizing university facilities.”

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Shortly after the protesters dispersed, McCauley said the camp was a security risk.

“I want to emphasize that as members of the community, you have the right to protest,” he said in a statement.

“With the prompt support of the university, protests happen regularly. But as our campus statement on free speech states, this right is subject to limitations established by law and by university policies and procedures.”

The U of C student union also criticized the administration's response to the protest, saying it severely damaged trust between students and students and that university officials refused to meet with activists to discuss their demands in the weeks leading up to the camp.

Protesters' rights violated: legal scholars

The protest at the U of C was one of many pro-Palestinian camps that have sprung up on university campuses in Canada and the United States in recent weeks.

A similar protest at the University of Alberta was violently broken up by police two days after the Calgary episode.

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Legal scholars, including U of C and U of A, say the protesters' constitutional rights appear to have been violated by a 2020 decision by the Alberta Court of Appeal.

In a case between UAlberta Pro-Life, the Governors of the University of Alberta and the Civil Liberties Association of British Columbia, the court found that the University of Alberta, and therefore all universities in Alberta, are subject to the Charter in relation to the regulation of liberty. students' attitudes in the university.

Scholars said the case, which includes the ability to hold pro-life protests on campuses, includes the right to set up encampments.

On May 14, Natalie Loveless, a professor in the Department of Art and Design and associate dean for equity, diversity and inclusion at the U of A, tendered her resignation over the removal of a pro-Palestinian camp.

U of C to respond to the letter

In a statement released Wednesday, the U of C defended its actions and said it would respond to the letter's authors.

“The University of Calgary is a place of free speech where our 42,000 students, faculty and staff can express themselves freely,” they said. “Students, faculty and staff have the right to protest on our campus, but according to our policies and procedures, they cannot camp.”

Premier Daniel Smith said his government would direct the Alberta Incident Response Team to investigate police actions at the two campuses, adding that universities have a responsibility to ensure student safety in the face of out-of-control protests.

— with files from Matt Scace

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X (Twitter): @BillKaufmannjrn

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