With portable toilets and barricades, Gaza protesters at UBC dig in for long haul across North America, including at McGill University in Montreal. There was no visible RCMP presence outside the camp. UBC spokesman Matthew Ramsey said in a written state

VANCOUVER

Pro-Palestinian protesters camped out at the University of British Columbia’s Vancouver campus are bringing in water, food and supplies in preparation to stay as long as it takes the school to accept their demands.

The encampment that went up Monday has since grown to about 30 tents, with some filled with large quantities of bottled water, food and bedding, while two portable toilets have also been brought in.

A protest spokesman, who would only identify himself as Kevin, said he and others will not leave until their demands are met. Those demands include an academic boycott of Israeli universities and that UBC divests itself from Israeli companies that they say are complicit in “oppression and genocide” of Palestinians.

“I’m pretty confident we can stay as long as it takes,” said Kevin, who identified himself as a second-year student at UBC.

“Everybody here is talking to each other, supporting each other. And we have plenty of food, plenty of water. We’re here as long as our demands aren’t met.”

The protest at UBC follows a wave of similar rallies and encampments protesting Israel’s offensive in Gaza at universities to the university’s request.

At UBC, about 80 protesters have erected makeshift barriers around the field where they’ve pitched their tents, using materials ranging from metal fences secured with zip ties and overturned picnic tables to piles of wood pallets and traffic barricades fastened with ropes and bungee cords.

Palestinian flags and banners displaying slogans such as “free Palestine,” hang near the protest site.

Ramsey had said Monday the protesters have not been given permission to erect barriers, and the school is in contact with police to monitor the situation.

“Of course, it’s hard to not notice ... the other movements in North America and also the tensions mounting at McGill so far,” Kevin said, noting that officials have deactivated power outlets in and around the field where the encampment is located.

“Even though the police presence from the university hasn’t been great and they’ve been pretty hostile toward us, I’m still pretty confident, how we’ve been dealing with it pretty well. And the camp is still alive and well.”

Among the protest banners was a sign notifying attendees of escorts available to the washrooms in nearby school buildings, reminding people that they would need to check in again to re-enter the encampment.