Pro-Palestinian protest encampment established at UBC

Pro-Palestinian protesters have established an encampment at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver in solidarity with the people of Gaza amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

Pro-Palestinian protesters have established an encampment at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver in solidarity with the people of Gaza amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

Protest spokesperson Naisha Khan says the demonstrators are also calling on the school to divest from a variety of companies they say are complicit in the war since the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

"We're at over 200 days of the genocide in Gaza and so we're all just very, very moved or very angered by what's happening and the lack of action from the university," Khan told CTV News on Monday.

The protesters erected tents outside the UBC Alma Mater Society building starting at 5 a.m. ahead of a rally planned for noon.

The university says it is monitoring the encampment and liaising with the local RCMP as the situation develops.

The RCMP University detachment said it would not comment on the protest Monday, referring all questions to the university administration and campus security.

"UBC values freedom of expression and respects peaceful protest," UBC spokesperson Matthew Ramsey said in a statement.