Protesters at Western University set up encampment calling for school to look at where money goes

Protesters on Western University's campus in London, Ont., erected tents and unfurled banners on Wednesday, among similar protests at post-secondary institutions that are calling on schools to divest from companies with business interests in Israel.

The pro-Palestinian encampment was set up around noon ET with about 100 people involved within several hours. Organizers said they planned to stay on the lawn in front of the University Community Centre, a main building on campus, until midnight.

"We have a moral responsibility to do everything that we can to put an end to this genocide and put an end to this bloodshed," Salma Tobah, a Western student, said, referring to the Israel-Hamas war.

The protests are a direct response to the Israel-Hamas war and the mounting deaths in Gaza. 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 retaliated by imposing a total siege on Gaza and mounting an air and ground assault that has killed about 34,500 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.

Ruth Kivilahti, a London resident, said she wants to put pressure on Western to divest and look at where their money goes. 

"There's a lot of grief that comes with all of this," she said. "I'm Jewish, so I personally feel indebted to be here, to speak out, to say, 'Not in our name and never again.'"

At the end of the day, they want a ceasefire, Kivilahti said. "We're here to protest for peace."

Many protesters would not identify themselves to CBC News and some had their faces covered. One man who said he was a protest organizer explained he was a graduate student fearing repercussions from Western for speaking out. 

"We are one of the first universities in Canada to follow along [with protests in the United States], and it's a means of amplifying our voices for our university, and all universities in Canada, to divest from all companies that are complicit in Israel." 

Protesters have been camped at McGill University in Montreal since Saturday, with a Quebec Superior Court judge ruling against an injunction request Wednesday that would have forced them to leave.

At Columbia University in New York, police have arrested protesters and dismantled camps.

Western University said it supports the rights of people to protest and would work with them to ensure their activities remained peaceful.

In a statement signed by vice-provost John Doerksen, unlawful activities were outlined, including erecting tents. He said campus police were on site, but a dialogue was underway with organizers. 

"While dialogue and debate are welcome and encouraged — even on the most difficult topics — Western will not tolerate hate speech," Doerksen wrote in the statement.

• CBC Radio's Just Asking wants to know: What questions do you have about the rights of protesters and the limits of peaceful protest? Fill out the details on this form and send us your questions ahead of our show on May 4.

Western University's investment portfolio is listed publicly on its website and shows investments in hundreds of companies  that support its endowment and operating budgets. 

Protesters called out Western's investment in Lockheed Martin, which according to financial records published in September 2023 saw the university owning approximately $300,000 worth of equity in the company.

According to the company's website, Lockheed Martin has "strengthened the IDF's [Israel Defence Forces'] ground forces" and "supplied the Israel Air Force with fifth-generation fighter jets" with 50 aircraft that were projected to be delivered by 2024.