The Muse Student Online Publication posted on Friday night, July 5, 2024 that three protestors from the group MUN Students for Palestine have been charged with petty trespassing by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, ending the occupation of the Arts of Administration Building at Memorial University. Campus Enforcement and Patrol dismantled and removed the tents from the encampment outside.
The MUN Students’ Union Executive Director of External Affairs Nicolas Keough stated that MUN’s actions to call the police were “Disgusting and shameful. Sending police on students with 30 minutes notice is beyond unacceptable, it’s irresponsible and puts students actively at risk. Glenn Barnes, Neil Bose, and Jennifer Lokash (among others) are unfit to lead a university, especially one that includes racialized and queer students, whose communities have been historically and currently brutalized by the police.”
Hours before Memorial called in the police, they published an article in The Gazette titled “Update on student protest,” stating that “Students cannot continue to live in a building or camp on grounds that are meant for work and study.” They argued that this aligns with the decision released on Tuesday, July 2, by the Ontario Superior Court in U of T v. Doe et al.
Furthermore, they stated, “We expect protesters to respect this court decision and to end the occupation of the Arts and Administration building and the encampment on the St. John’s campus.”
They stated that the occupation is “increasingly disruptive” to members of the Memorial community and is not supported by the university. They said some members of the university community have reported not feeling safe on campus and that “this is not acceptable.”
Matt Barter is a graduate of the Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty at Memorial University of Newfoundland, holding a degree in Political Science with a minor in Sociology. He enjoys reading thought-provoking articles, taking walks in nature, and volunteering in the community.
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