UVic released a statement regarding their talks with the encampment protesters advocating for peace in Palestine which says they are walking away from negotiations for the time being.
This is because on Sunday, June 2nd and Monday, June 3rd, the university alleges some protesters from People’s Park UVic vandalized the Starbucks on campus and intimidated its customers.
In addition to this, a high school graduation ceremony was interrupted and the university alleges it was protesters from People’s Park UVic who were responsible.
The statement from UVic was penned by Elizabeth Croft, Vice-President Academic and Provost as well as Kristi Simpson, Vice-President Finance and Operations.
Simpson and Croft say that they had a meeting with the protesters on Friday and left that meeting feeling “cautiously optimistic.”
However, the actions which transpired at the campus Starbucks has forced them to step away from negotiations.
“We have said from the beginning that the university supports peaceful, safe and lawful protest and the right to freedom of expression; however, acts of vandalism, harassment and intimidation in any form cannot—and will not—be tolerated,” Simpson and Croft wrote.
The two also wrote in their statement that they understand those in the encampment are passionate about the Palestinians cause and those feelings are echoed by the university.
Croft and Simpson added that the protesters need to reassess how they go about their actions.
“These beliefs do not give anyone permission to commit acts of vandalism or infringe on the rights of others on our campus,” they wrote.
“Anyone engaging in these activities will be held accountable and the university is prepared to take necessary steps to protect the safety of all members of the university community.”
In order to get back to the negotiations table and work towards meeting the protesters demands, UVic wrote a letter to those participating in People’s Park UVic which tells them they are required to “immediately refrain from all acts of vandalism, intimidation and harassment, along with demonstrations or activities that disrupt campus operations.”
Croft and Simpson say that once this is confirmed, they, and the university, can consider re-engaging in conversation.
Protesters point-of-view
Protesters from People’s Park UVic turned to social media saying they did not leave Friday’s meeting with UVic faculty with any optimism.
According to them, the university fell short of their expectations to engage genuinely in open faith dialogue.
They added that what Croft and Simpson refer to in their statement as intimidation and harassment, was a protest that was meant to be disruptive.
“We have learned in our university courses that effective protests for human rights disrupt the status quo,” a People’s Park UVic spokesperson wrote. “That is their point.”
“We cannot be going about business as usual during a genocide,” they added.
People’s Park UVic then pleaded with Croft and Simpson to cease painting the protesters with a brush that suggests violence and lack of reason.
“We will not refrain from exercising our Charter protected rights to protest a genocide that our university if profiting from,” they explained.
The protesters concluded by letting UVic’s administration know that whenever the faculty is ready to negotiate further, they will be waiting.
