5 people arrested following pro-Palestinian protest at University of Calgary
CBC
Calgary police Chief Mark Neufeld says people had "ample opportunity" to leave a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Calgary before officers used force to remove remaining demonstrators Thursday night.
"This isn't something we enjoy doing, but it is something that is very necessary when individuals refuse to comply with lawful direction," said Neufeld during a news conference Friday afternoon.
"I'm proud of the way that our officers handled themselves throughout the situation … and ultimately escalating in tactics only in response to an increase in resistance."
Five people were arrested under the Trespass to Premises Act, three of whom were charged. All have since been released. It is not known if those arrested were students or members of the public.
Neufeld added that further investigations will continue and additional charges are possible, but more serious charges related to Thursday night's events are unlikely.
This is just one of many protests and encampments that have been popping up at university campuses across North America.
The protests come after the Hamas attack on Israel last fall led to the capture of more than 250 hostages and killed around 1,200 people, according to Israeli officials. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israel's retaliatory bombing campaign and ground offensive have killed more than 34,000 Palestinians — many of them civilians, including children.
Neufeld says the Calgary Police Service (CPS) has had conversations with post-secondary institutions in preparation for the encampments appearing in Calgary. He says Calgary police will continue to enforce the law surrounding trespassing.
In a statement sent via email on Friday, the president and vice-chancellor of the University of Calgary, Ed McCauley, said all members of the university's community "have the right to free speech and the right to protest."
McCauley's statement also said that "for safety and operational reasons, temporary structures as part of protests and overnight protests are not permitted," and protests can't occur between the hours of 10 p.m. and 8 a.m.
He says individuals were provided a written summary of the university's policies and procedures, and the individuals who refused to take down their structures were issued a trespass notice.
The statement said the police service's "decision to enforce a trespass order is based on assessment of the risk to public safety as determined through things such as protester actions, communications [including social media monitoring] and analysis."
In addition, McCauley's statement to the U of C community said counter-protesters also appeared Thursday night.
"Unfortunately, counter-protesters showed up — also putting themselves in violation of our policies and in [a] trespass situation — and the situation very quickly devolved into shoving, projectiles being thrown at officers, and — ultimately — flash-bangs and arrests," it reads.
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