More than 600 Calgary community members sign letter condemning administration's response to pro-Palestinian protest

More than 600 University of Calgary students, staff and alumni signed an open letter expressing “great disappointment and dismay” with the post-secondary school's response to the May 9 pro-Palestinian protest on campus.

Students pitched a tent on the south lawn of McEwan Hall that Thursday morning, calling on the university to publicize its interests in Israel and renounce other things.

Later that day, police in riot gear moved into the camp and issued a warning to arrest protesters who refused to leave. Officers used flashbulbs, rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Calgary Police Chief Mark Neufeld said in an update the next day that five people had been arrested and three had been issued citations.

Police say about 150 people attended.

Now, hundreds of Calgary community members are demanding the resignation of those responsible for “inciting paramilitary violence against peaceful protesters” and meeting with protest organizers to openly and constructively discuss their concerns and demands for all charges against the protesters to be dropped. , etc.

The group says the students have been “silenced and dismissed” by university staff for seven months and that the protest earlier this month was “part of a global student movement to protest the genocide, apartheid state, governance, colonization and total destruction of Gaza's infrastructure”. health and academic facilities and opportunities”.

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The letter, signed by UCalgary President Ed McCauley, also calls for an independent review of the school's response to protests and policies on campus safety and police presence, and to adhere to non-violent policies and minimal police presence during peaceful protests.

Protests at the Calgary camp were held at McGill University, the University of Toronto, the University of Ottawa, the University of British Columbia and Columbia University, and UCLA in the US, where participants demanded similar actions from school officials.

The University of Alberta campus was also the scene of protests just days after the Calgary events. In this case, the city police, armed with sticks, proceeded to break up the camp before arresting the three people.

The letter made no mention of any injuries sustained by the protesters.

However, reports of possible injuries soon after the protests broke up prompted Premier Danielle Smith to order an investigation by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) to ensure the use of force was not unjustified.

Opposition Leader Rachel Notley has also called for an investigation into the matter.

Smith said at the time that he supported the school authorities' actions in the cases at the province's largest post-secondary schools.

“I support the right of the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary to provide a safe environment for all students,” he said. “There is a way to protest peacefully and you have to protest according to the law.”