Calgary Student Movement rallies for university accountability and divestment from Israeli-linked investments

By Vama Saini, September 19 2024—

On Sept. 13, the Calgary Student Movement (CSM) held a rally and march at the University of Calgary, calling for accountability from the university administration and divestment from companies associated with Israel. The demonstration followed the May 9 incident when the Calgary Police Service (CPS) intervened to dismantle a student-led encampment protesting the university’s alleged financial ties to companies supporting the occupation of Palestine.

According to a statement to the Gauntlet from CSM, the rally aimed to raise awareness among new and returning students about the university’s role in these investments. 

“We march to remind those on campus that the University of Calgary remains complicit in an ongoing genocide and sicced a violent police service against students who protested their complicity. The new students who are joining us this semester need to be aware of what their tuition is funding and how far this institution is willing to go to silence them,” read the statement.

The march began with speeches at the Taylor Family Digital Library (TFDL) Quad before proceeding along a route that CSM says represents the areas where the events of May 9 unfolded. The route included the MacEwan Student Centre, where CSM alleged that damage remains from the encounter with CPS, and the university’s administrative building, which they hold responsible for the police intervention.

“We chose to march where we not only had our encampment but where police had violently attacked us on campus. You can still see the damage their weapons caused in the cracks on the walkways by MacEwan Student Centre. We also passed by the administrative building to point out who exactly was responsible for sending the police after us,” the statement continued.

CSM’s demands include the full disclosure of the university’s investments and financial decisions, divestment from companies that develop military technology or profit from wars, and corporate involvement in oppressing Indigenous peoples, oppressed nationalities and workers’ movements globally. They also call for transparency regarding all financial transactions, including the source of donations and salaries.

“We continue to demand that the University of Calgary disclose their investments and divest from assets and companies associated with Israel, who is currently committing a genocide against Palestinians. We further demand accountability from university administration for the violent events they set in place May 9 on our very campus,” the statement added.

In addition to divestment, CSM is advocating for a full academic boycott of institutions complicit in the occupation of Palestine, the provision of academic and mental health support for Palestinian students, and protections for students, faculty and staff protesting against the occupation. They have also called for the resignation of U of C President Dr. Edward McCauley and Director of Campus Security Rick Gysen, citing their roles in the events of May 9.

In response to the rally, the U of C emphasized its support for the right to protest but stated that the establishment of temporary structures and overnight encampments is prohibited for safety and operational reasons. 

“Early in the morning on May 9th (6:30 a.m.), protesters began setting up an encampment in the TFDL quad. Those setting up the encampment were informed by Campus Security that, while protesting is permitted, temporary structures and overnight protests were not. They were provided written copies of the relevant policies, and informed that if they did not remove the temporary structures they would be issued notice of trespass. Those setting up the encampment did not take down the temporary structures and, consistent with our procedures, the CPS was called,” read a statement to the Gauntlet, attributable to the University of Calgary.

The university added that CPS issued several warnings before making arrests late in the evening. 

“Around 8:30 p.m., CPS provided several additional warnings. Most of the people present in the encampment left when given assurances they could return to protest as long as encampments were not established, and protests occurred between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. At 11 p.m., the CPS arrested four individuals. Those individuals were aged 34 to 61. None of those arrested were students, faculty, or staff of the university,” the university’s statement continued.

The university maintained that its policies were followed and reiterated its position on protests.

“It remains the position of the university that people are free to protest, but — because of the safety, operational and other risks — they may not establish an encampment. The university cannot speak to any operational decisions made by the CPS,” continued the statement.

Addressing accusations of complicity in the occupation of Palestine, the university stated that it does not invest in the Israeli Institute of Technology (Technion), a target of the divestment campaign. 

“The University of Calgary does not invest in Technion. We had a research collaboration between professors in energy research that ran from 2017-22,” the statement concluded.