Alberta premier ‘glad’ Gaza protest in Calgary ended
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she’s pleased the University of Calgary moved to have police dismantle an on-campus pro-Palestinian protest and hopes the University of Alberta will take note.
Smith’s comment comes as the head of the University of Calgary said the dismantling of the encampment Thursday night derailed into a clash with police because of counter-protesters.
Also Friday, a similar protest that began with one tent at the University of Alberta campus in Edmonton mushroomed to about 35.
Smith, speaking at an unrelated news conference in Calgary, said her government is on hand to help if asked but will otherwise leave decisions of what to do with the protest encampments up to the universities. She said peaceful protest is fine, but rules must be followed and students’ education should not be disrupted.
“I think what they found in Calgary is that a large number who were trespassing were not students, and we have to be mindful of that. Kids are having graduation ceremonies. A lot of these kids didn’t get a graduation ceremony for high school. It’s not fair for them or their families to be disrupted.”
She added, “I’ll watch and see what the University of Alberta learns from what they observed in Calgary.”
The Calgary protest began early Thursday, as shelters and fencing were erected as part of the encampment.
The university issued protesters a trespass notice. When they would not disperse, police were called in.
The protest reached a peak of about 150 people in the early evening. By about 11 p.m. most had left, but the small number that stayed clashed with officers. Police set off flashbang explosives and tear gas and made arrests.
“Unfortunately, counterprotesters showed up — also putting themselves in violation of our policies and in a trespass situation,” University of Calgary president Ed McCauley said in a statement. “The situation very quickly devolved into shoving, projectiles being thrown at officers and — ultimately — flashbangs and arrests.”
McCauley said the university respects and values protests within the confines of the school’s safe operation.
Calgary Chief Const. Mark Neufeld said flashbangs and tear gas were used because officers were being pelted with glass bottles. “That’s where the escalation was at the end, where there was a small group of people that were throwing things and grabbing on to the police,” he said.
Meanwhile, a pro-Palestine encampment continues at the University of Victoria campus. University president Kevin Hall issued a statement on Friday, saying: “We are committed to open and constructive dialogue; however, the university cannot agree to demands or ultimatums from any group.”