Members of a pro-Palestinian encampment sit at the Vancouver Island University site they have occupied since May 1. VIU is seeking an injunction to remove them.
Before May 1, the quadrangle between Vancouver Island University's campus library, its main cafeteria and a performing arts theatre was known mostly as a home to rabbits and the occasional student demonstration.
But in a notice of application filed last month, VIU claims the area has been constantly occupied by as many as 35 people since the encampment took over the space. The number now allegedly fluctuates between eight and 10. Protesters are also accused of calling a campus security officer a "fascist" and disrupting a board of governors meeting with a drum and a bullhorn. The court documents claim they also poured red paint on the Starbucks sign — which has since been removed.
As the owner of the campus, the university says it has warned the protesters "the encampment and overnight camping were prohibited activities on campus." An application filed by the National Council of Canadian Muslims and the Arab Canadian Lawyers Association claims VIU's "injunction application appears to traffic heavily in ... stereotypes and tropes," revealing underlying biases against "Palestinians, Arabs and/or Muslims."
B'nai Brith says the judge needs to preserve the "dignity and worth" of students and faculty beyond the people inside the camp.
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