Achi news desk-
Police in Calgary say several people were arrested during a pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Calgary on Thursday night.
A video posted on social media showed officers tearing down makeshift fences and tents before protesters left peacefully.
In a statement, Calgary police say they were notified around 6:30pm of a camping protest on campus, which grew to 150 protesters at its peak.
After a few hours, the police say they encouraged around 60 protesters to leave.
Around 11:15pm police say the rest of the protesters have been removed by arresting them, and the number of people arrested and facing charges is expected to be released on Friday.
Throughout the standoff, police say missiles were thrown, which at one point led to officers using non-lethal weapons.
No injuries have been reported at this time.
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The camp started around 6:30am on Thursday, with tents being pitched. The number of demonstrators increased throughout the day.
The protesters, led by a group called the Calgary Student Movement, said they opposed the university’s ties to Israeli companies and organizations.
It was one of several protests on academic campuses in Canada and the United States in response to Israel’s offensive in Gaza.
A statement from the university also advised demonstrators that it respects free speech but that the campus has the right to reasonably regulate when and how it occurs.
The university noted that prior approval is required from the university to erect temporary structures and that such protests cannot stay overnight.
“Members of the campus community are free to protest but they are not free to camp,” the university said in a statement.
& copy 2024 The Canadian Press
