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UBC president addresses Gaza encampment demands
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The president of the University of British Columbia says its endowment
fund doesn't directly own any stocks that are the target of divestment
demands by pro-Palestinian protesters who have set up an encampment on
the Vancouver campus.
Benoit-Antoine Bacon says the targeted companies are instead part of
"pooled funds and managed by external investment managers," making up
0.28 per cent of the endowment fund UBC says is worth about $2.8
billion.
9:37 The impact of university divestment from Israel
He says in a message posted online that the university would welcome a
"respectful and robust discussion" with its students about the
investments.
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Bacon says the encampment that began at UBC's MacInnes Field on April
29 now involves about 100 people and 75 tents.
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He says UBC values peaceful protest but anyone expressing views about
the "violence unfolding in Israel and Palestine" needs to be
"exceptionally careful" how they convey their thoughts.
The UBC protests are part of a movement that has roiled academic
campuses in the United States and Canada, with some, including Ontario
Premier Doug Ford, calling for the encampments to end.
Protesters say they want UBC to divest from Israeli companies they say
are complicit in the "oppression and genocide" of Palestinians. They
also want an academic boycott of Israeli universities and other
institutions.
1:47 Pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill in 2nd week
Bacon says UBC is "actively monitoring the situation" at MacInnes
Field and "prioritizing the safety of all our community members and
visitors."
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"It is absolutely essential that the university remains a place of
reasoned debate where conflicting views can peacefully coexist. Our
academic and social mission depends on it," he says.
Bacon adds that the university's expectations of the protesters have
been "made clear."
"I want to stress again that protest actions must be conducted with
respect for others and within the boundaries of UBC policy and the
law, and any action that contravenes this will be taken very
seriously," he said.
The message tells staff managers they should print it out and display
it in a work common area.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
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