Pro-Palestinian protesters say Western encampment is 'indefinite'

Organizers of a pro-Palestinian protest at Western University in London, Ont., said they now plan to stay indefinitely — a shift from their original stated plan to stay for 12 hours when they set up camp on campus earlier this week.

A message posted on a new Instagram account called Western Divestment Coalition describes the grouping of tents outside University Community Centre as an "indefinite encampment."

About 30 tents were in place on Friday as a few dozen students prepared for what they said was an overnight stay. There were deliveries of food being brought in. 

Abdul, a student who would not give his last name for fear of repercussions, said he expected the encampment would remain in place until students' demands are met. Those demands include a request to meet with university administrators willing to share information about Western University's investments in companies with ties to Israel. 

While Abdul is not part of the group who created the new Instagram page, he said himself and other supporters are committed to keeping the encampment in place. 

"As you can see there is more tents, more people who have showed up," he said. 

"It's a means of applying pressure and amplifying our voices and getting the attention of the administration."

Questions from CBC News to a university spokesperson were not replied to on Friday. The university has said in past statements that tents are not permitted on campus. 

This week's protest at Western campus started Wednesday afternoon, when dozens of people set up tents and banners saying they were there because the university had not listened to their demands that it divest from companies with business interests in Israel.

At the time, they said they would remain for 12 hours, repeating a 12-hour protest that had taken place at Western one week earlier. 

On Friday afternoon it appeared the protesters had no immediate plans to leave. 

When the protesters were not gone after 24 hours, Western issued a news release calling their actions "disappointing."

"The safety and security of our campus community is our top priority and will be our focus today as we ensure regular university activities can proceed without interruption," the school said in a statement. "We will continue efforts to communicate with the Western student leaders at the encampment and to set clear expectations for all individuals involved.

"At the same time, we are working closely with London Police Service to seek advice and support as needed."

Similar protests are going on at universities across Canada and the United States. In some cases, the encampments have led to clashes with police.

Late Thursday police used flashbang grenades and full tactical gear to clear a similar pro-Palestinian protest encampment at the University of Calgary.

When asked about what happened in Calgary, Abdul said students at the Western protest are taking precautions to ensure it's peaceful and safe. 

"We're taking steps to make sure we're not disturbing university operations so I don't think it should be an issue," he said. 

The demonstration at Western and elsewhere are a direct response to the mounting deaths in Gaza since the conflict between Israel and Hamas intensified on Oct. 7, 2023.

A total of 253 hostages were seized in a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7 in which about 1,200 Israelis were also killed, according to Israeli counts. Israel's offensive has killed 34,844 Palestinians over the last seven months, health officials in Gaza said.

Many protesters have refused to identify themselves, saying they fear similar repercussions from the school or the broader community.

The student movement began at Columbia University in New York City on April 17 before protesters were forcefully cleared by police at the request of administrators. In Canada, encampments have also sprung up in Montreal's McGill University, the University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia, McMaster University in Hamilton and the University of Windsor, Ont., among others.