Western Canada: Police action and arrests at University of Calgary change the tone for protests over Gaza war on Canadian campuses

Hi everyone, Mark Iype in Edmonton today.

Protests over the war in Gaza have been taking place on university campuses across North America for months now. And while violence and police action has been minimal at Canadian institutions, that all changed on Thursday night at the University of Calgary.

A number of protesters set up camp on Thursday with tents and fences being erected on the Calgary campus, reaching a peak of about 150 demonstrators by the early evening, according to The Canadian Press.

At similar protests in Canada, university administrators have, for the most part, said that upholding free speech is important and that they respect the right to protest, but they will not tolerate violence or other breaches of the law. On the Calgary campus, the university warned the protesters that overnight camps were not allowed and those who remained would be treated as trespassers. Administrators then called police for help.

That night, Calgary police moved in, carrying shields and batons and eventually deploying flash grenades and tear gas to disperse the protesters who did not immediately leave when warned.

Calgary Police Chief Mark Neufeld, at a press conference Friday, said five people were arrested for trespassing, three of whom were issued tickets. He said there were no injuries reported among his officers or protesters.

Chief Neufeld estimated about 20 people were involved in the worst of the clashes and said some bottles were thrown at police.

“So, if you’re standing right in front of me, you’re grabbing my shield and you don’t want to move back, I can deploy munitions that will move you back,” he said. “The alternative is to hit people with batons and stuff like that, which does cause injuries.”

On Friday, protesters were back on campus, but as The Globe’s Kelsea Arnett reported, there did not appear to be any tents or barricades set up.

Meanwhile, on the University of Alberta campus, what had started as a small gathering of a few tents had swelled to over 35 by Friday evening.

The university in Edmonton has warned protesters that while it respects free speech, they are trespassing.

Speaking at an unrelated news conference earlier Friday, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she was pleased police moved in to dismantle the Calgary encampment.

She said there is a way to protest peacefully, but rules must be followed and hate speech should not be tolerated.

“I’m glad that the University of Calgary made the decision that they did,” she said.

Smith said the province would step in if called upon, although it is unclear what exactly that would entail.

Meanwhile, protest camps remain on campuses from B.C. to Newfoundland, including at McGill University in Montreal, where some of the most heated confrontations have occurred. Administrators are seeking a court order that, if approved, would authorize the Montreal police to step in and dismantle the camp.

The court order, if approved, would authorize the Montreal police to step in and dismantle the camp.

This is the weekly Western Canada newsletter written by B.C. Editor Wendy Cox and Alberta Bureau Chief Mark Iype. If you’re reading this on the web, or it was forwarded to you from someone else, you can sign up for it and all Globe newsletters here.