With the Queen’s senior administrative building draped in Palestinian flags, protestors remain steadfast in their divestment demands.
READ MORE: Pro-Palestine protestors set up encampment on Queen’s University campus
Since its establishment on May 10, senior administrators, students, and faculty have visited the encampment behind Richardson Hall—renamed “Reem’s Hall” by protestors—to speak with protestors.
Discussions between the University and protestors have hit a standstill, with protestors insisting the University divest from “companies that facilitate and or profit from Israeli apartheid and occupation in Palestine,” specifically those in the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) list, weapon companies, and defense contractors, Sophie Sterling, ArtSci ’25 and a member of Queen’s University Apartheid Divestment (QUAD), said in an interview with The Journal.
Senior administrators visit the encampment
Provost Matthew Evans and Vice-Provost and Dean of Student Affairs Ann Tierney handed protestors a letter at the encampment on May 14. The letter, identical to the public statement by the University, said the University would create a committee to review divestment.
READ MORE: Pro-Palestine protestors claim Queen’s isn’t meeting their divestment demands
There will be an opportunity for those “interested in this matter to participate in this process,” the letter said.
The letter informed protestors they’re not allowed to damage property or attach anything to university buildings. Richardson Hall remains covered in posters, Palestinian flags, and red handprints.
The student-run advocacy group participating in the ongoing encampment, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR), posted a copy of the letter to their Instagram account. In the Instagram post, SPHR said protestors didn’t verbally accept the terms of the letter.
“We remain steadfast in our demands. The pressure is not going to stop. The people of Palestine are dying, and Queen’s University is complicit,” SPHR and QUAD said on their Instagram accounts.
Students and faculty speak out
Student groups and faculty across campus expressed their support for the demands QUAD posted on their Instagram account on May 13.
PSAC 901 and 27 other organizations and student associations have signed and supported the divestment demands, according to QUAD.
The SGPS Council is one of the 28 organizations and student associations who have endorsed QUAD’s demands. The current SGPS executives didn’t sign onto QUAD’s demands, Emils Matiss, president of SGPS, told The Journal. The demands were signed by the 2023-24 SGPS Council, made up of graduate and professional student representatives from various departments, Matiss said.
“We cannot speak to the views of the individual members of the SGPS Council, nor would it be responsible for us to do so,” Matiss said in a statement to The Journal.
Other groups on campus, such as the Queen’s University Faculty Observers Network, have openly expressed their solidarity with pro-Palestine protestors. Members of the network stopped by the encampment on May 13 to issue a statement in support.
“We are inspired and heartened by students’ show of care, collaboration, and courage as they work towards peace and justice,” said Samantha King, director of the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies and member of the network, at the encampment.
Tags
Divestment, Encampment, Protest, University Administration
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s)-in-Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.