Palestinian supporters camped out at UWindsor say they'll leave if school meets demands

Students at a University of Windsor pro-Palestinian encampment have been leading teach-ins, protests and vigils over the weekend, with more than a dozen tents and about 20 people staying overnight on the lawn in front of the university's Dillon Hall.

University officials in Windsor, Ont., say they're aware of the encampment and recognize the right to peaceful assembly — "while also safeguarding the rights of all students to continue their education and attend classes in a secure and minimally disruptive environment."

Jana Jandal Alrifai has been at the protest and encampment since Friday. She says the group's messaging has been consistent.

"The message that we've been carrying across is that, if you want us to leave, the answer is talk to us about our demands," she said. "That's the easiest way to get us to leave."

Students have been camped on the University of Windsor campus since Friday. Students say they will stay until University of Windsor officials meets with them about their demands for divestments. (Jennifer La Grassa)

Last week, students established a series of protests over two days near the university's Dillon and Chrysler Halls. While students started protesting there Thursday, they started staying overnight beginning Friday after a protest of the university's Senate meeting.

"We thought it was time to escalate, especially after the Senate disruption that went very, very well," said Jandal Alrifai. "We thought that we have the numbers and we have the capacity and we have the will to escalate this because we want the university to know that we are serious about what we're trying to achieve here."

The group is calling on the university to declare any investments that benefit Israel, and to divest immediately. They also have demands that include cutting ties with Israeli educational institutions and to create a program to support Palestinian students and scholars.

The group says the university has not responded to their demands. CBC News has not been able to contact Jewish student associations for their response.

Jandal Alrifai says she grew up during the Arab Spring — a series of pro-democracy uprisings and protests in much of the Middle East that started in 2010 — and says she remembers seeing her first protest when she was eight.

"I remember hearing people scream in the streets and chant and I felt a sense of euphoria that I've not been able to find ever since," she said.

"I opened the door after that Senate meeting and I heard the chanting and I started chanting with them. And that was when I felt like that sense of 'we can do this, that we can change the world.'"

Jandal Alrifai says that about 20 students are staying overnight. Campus security have been "checking in," she added.

About a dozen students gathered for a protest at the University of Windsor on May 9, 2024. (Jennifer La Grassa/CBC)

In a statement, the University of Windsor said "a small group of demonstrators have remained on campus over the weekend" and that activities have been peaceful.

"The situation continues to be monitored to ensure the safety and security of the campus community," a spokesperson said.

"The university is working with organizers to ensure everyone's safety and to ensure that they are fully aware of relevant campus policies and procedures. The university recognizes the importance of meaningful dialogue and is beginning the process of establishing mechanisms to support that process."

Windsor police did not return a request for comment on Monday.

Jandal Alrifai says they've been holding vigils and "teach-ins," noting the university's history as one of the first in Canada to boycott and divest during the South African apartheid era.

"We have been hammering on the point that we are people who love our university, who want it to do better," Jandal Alrifai said. She says some of the reaction online to their encampment has been racist in nature.

"We stand here and we stand tall and we stand proud of what we have been doing for the people of Gaza and the people of Palestine. And what we're doing in so many ways … [is] because we believe in this message and because we believe in our demands."