Western president's first public comments about encampment draw rebuke from protesters
Two sides met Wednesday, but no talks scheduled as of Thursday afternoon
Protesters involved in a weeks-long pro-Palestinian encampment at Western University are pushing back on statements from the school's president, including that the demonstration is unsafe.
The comments from Alan Shepard, released by Western early Wednesday evening, were his first about the encampment, which originally began on May 1 outside the University Community Centre.
Protesters have been calling for Western to divest from companies with business and military ties in Israel, cut academic ties with Israeli universities, and agree to an amnesty for students against negative academic impacts over their involvement.
Other Canadian universities have faced similar calls amid the War in Gaza, and have moved to dismantle encampments on their own campuses.
"Western University has prioritized the removal of tents on its property over genuine engagement on its very concerning investment practices," said the protest group, Western Divestment Coalition, in an online statement Thursday, which described Shepard's response as "contradictory and incoherent."
CBC News reached out to Western for comment, but did not receive a response by publication. Previous requests since the protests began four weeks ago have also gone unanswered.
The divestment calls come amid Israel's widening offensive in southern Gaza, where it has seized control of the Gaza's border with Egypt. Fighting in the city of Rafah has spurred more than one million Palestinians to flee, most of whom had already been displaced by the war.
Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, a response to the attack by Hamas in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 which left some 1,200 dead and 250 taken hostage, has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't distinguish between combatants and civilians.
In his post, Shepard outlined seven steps Western was willing to take in return for the dismantling of the encampment. Few, however, concede the coalition's main demands, hinging on the encampment's removal and protesters not disrupting convocation ceremonies.
On divestment, Shepard said doing so would likely see limited to no impact on the issue, and that Western doesn't invest directly in companies as its investments are held in pooled funds overseen by external fund managers.
Divestment, he said, would require the school's investment model to be dismantled mid-stream to address "a very small percentage of assets," potentially putting its entire portfolio at risk.
In its statement, the coalition argued the divestment sought was only for holdings in conflict with Western's ethical standards, suggesting it could "tactically divest" from specific holdings.
Both Shepard and the coalition pointed to Western having signed on to the United Nations-sponsored Principles for Responsible Investment last year -- Shepard as an example of Western's commitment to responsible investing, and protesters as proof that divestment is possible.
"If they believe that divestment is [not impactful], there's no reason to have these responsible investing frameworks in the first place," said Mahmoud Elsaleh, a fourth-year psychology student, speaking for the coalition.
Shepard added universities generally don't take unilateral positions on political or social issues, with few exceptions.
Elsaleh noted Western stood in solidarity with Ukraine following Russia's invasion in 2022, and divested from apartheid South Africa.
The school implemented a selective divestment policy against firms dealing with the apartheid regime in 1986.
Shepard's statement alleged some protesters had intimidated visitors on campus tours, harassed students and caretaking staff, committed acts of vandalism, and "engaged in assaultive behaviour" toward staff members.
On Tuesday, Western alleged some student-led tour groups had been followed and chanted at. Elsaleh said it was disappointing the school characterized the protest as unsafe and violent.
"Alan Shepard hasn't come out to talk to us, that's all we've been requesting for," he said. "It's extremely concerning that he would rather vilify us than actually sit down and talk to us."
On the issue of ties with Israeli universities, Shepard said Western would not cut partnerships, but could review institutional agreements to confirm they follow Western's principles.
Students involved with the protest would be granted amnesty, he added, but it couldn't be guaranteed for those who didn't "respect the bounds of peaceful and lawful protest."
Western has previously cited pitching tents, protesting after 9 p.m., sleeping on campus overnight, and erecting banners and posters on school property as examples of unlawful protests. In his statement, Shepard also described the encampment as being "unlawful."
Elsaleh said the two sides met for a third time on Wednesday, and no further talks were scheduled as of Thursday afternoon.
One step proposed by Shepard is for a meeting to be held sometime before September involving three to four coalition members, members of Western's investment team and senior leadership.
"We remain open to more communication and collaboration with the student groups," his statement said.
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With files from The Associated Press