The president of the University of Victoria is accusing participants in a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus of being “incredibly irresponsible” for inviting people from the community to join them.
UVic president Kevin Hall’s statement follows an incident Tuesday in which a man went into the First Peoples House on campus and threatened people with a knife.
Saanich police arrested a suspect.
The university has said the man in the incident was not part of the encampment, which was established on the campus on May 1 to pressure the university to divest from corporations supporting Israel, cut academic ties to Israel and condemn the Israeli attacks on Gaza.
But the man set up a tent Monday next to the First Peoples House after calls from the encampment for people to join them, Hall said in his statement Wednesday.
“It is incredibly irresponsible for encampment organizers to encourage other members of the community who are not affiliated with the university to occupy parts of our campus,” Hall said.
The man was showing “signs of substance use” that required a medical response, which was hindered by interventions by members of the encampment, Hall said.
The university took steps to have the man removed from the campus, but on Tuesday, a man matching his description went into the First Peoples House and threatened people with a knife.
Hall said the university supports peaceful demonstrations and the right to freedom of expression, but recent events “perpetrated or enabled by members of the encampment” are challenging people’s sense of safety on campus.
In addition to the arrest, there is increasing vandalism on campus, high school students touring the school are being yelled at with profanity and people are going into locked buildings after hours without authorization, Hall said.
Encampment members have also reported being assaulted by a man in several separate incidents, but they declined to pursue charges, because they didn’t want to identify themselves to police or security, he said.
The suspect has been served a trespass notice to prevent him from returning to campus, but he could not be arrested, Hall said.
Encampment members have been unwilling to engage in a conversation with the university to address the topics they’re advocating for, such as responsible investing, Hall said.
Similar Palestinian solidarity encampments have been created on campuses across North America, including at the the University of British Columbia, the University of Ottawa and McGill University in Montreal.
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