Protesters clear camp at the University of Waterloo, the university withdraws lawsuit

WATERLOO, Ontario – Pro-Palestinian protesters have cleared their nearly two-month-old camp at the University of Waterloo, and the university said it is now shelving legal action against the group.

The university had filed a lawsuit against the participants of the camp set up on May 13, claiming that the demonstration had damaged the university’s reputation and damaged its property.

A student-led group representing the protesters said they decided to “voluntarily leave the camp” on Sunday evening, which they described as a strategic decision.

The group announces that it will now target the university’s investments and partnerships with Israel that were exposed as a result of the protests in the camp.

University President Vivek Goel said the camp was cleared peacefully and the university was now withdrawing its lawsuit and injunction related to the protest.

Goel says it has been a “difficult and divisive time” and the university is exploring opportunities for engagement that brings the community together to address complex challenges.

The university’s lawsuit named several individual protesters who identified themselves as representatives of the camp, as well as unidentified individuals involved in the demonstration. It also called for an order to clear the camp and for police to be allowed to arrest and remove anyone who refuses to leave.

Protesters had denounced the lawsuit on social media, calling it an attempt to intimidate students with the possibility of large fines that they could not afford.

In an online statement about the camp’s clearance, they also claimed that the people named in the lawsuit had been harassed, while the lawsuit had “emboldened the agitators.”

The university president wrote in his statement on Monday that he hopes the university and students will “work together to bring healing and peace to our community” in the coming weeks.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2024.

The Canadian Press