Legal Support for VIU Students at the PSE

On July 15, 2024 Vancouver Island University (VIU) filed a civil claim against select students and the Palestine Solidarity Encampment on their campus. In doing so VIU has singled out students, putting them at potential risk of harm including doxxing, abuse and bullying. This is in direct violation of their human rights.

The students at the Palestine Solidarity Encampment from Vancouver Island University (Nanaimo) have been offered legal help at a discounted rate ($150 / hour) though it will take a lot of work to fight an institution with a legal team. The community is needed now more than ever!

The estimated legal fees are between $15,000 - $25,000. Should there be anything left over that would be donated directly to the UNRWA. Once the money is fundraised, it will be sent to the one of the effected students to pay the legal fees of the encampment.

ABOUT THE PSE:

Since May 1st, 2024 a group of students and supporters have set up and been holding the Palestine Solidarity Encampment at Vancouver Island University. This has been a part of a global movement of students organizing to protest the ongoing genocide in Gaza and escalating Zionist violence throughout Palestine.

The students have organized community events, educational movie nights and workshops to educate about activism and create community. This has been a peaceful movement of students exercising their right to protest.

The students has been attempting to negotiate with VIU since October of 2023, before the encampment began. Many of these students have been continuously racially profiled, villainized and harassed by VIU employees, as continues. VIU has ignored the call for accountability and once they did come to the table they came unprepared to discuss the students demands, showing that their main concern was Convocation and their own interests. The PSE has negotiated 3 of their 8 demands and has agreed, though with the need for crucial timeline commitments which have not been provided by VIU.

The PSE demands are:

1. VIU to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.

2. VIU to acknowledge that it is a genocide that is occurring in Palestine.

3. VIU to take a stand against scholasticide.

4. The closure of the Starbucks on campus, a company that contributes to the genocide.

5. VIU to disclose all investments

6. An investigation of the bag search incident where a group of Muslim women wearing hijabs were racially profiled, questioned, harassed and subjected to an illegal bag search by the head of HR

7. A safety action plan for Palestinian students and protection of student activists

8. Protection of students protest rights, freedom of speech and right to peaceful assembly ensuring no disciplinary action against student activists.

Please help the PSE say no to this blatant display of power over and stand up for these students right to protest an ongoing genocide they are personally affected by with a current estimate death toll of 186,000 people killed.

Contact the PSE through Email [email redacted]

Instagram @PSE_VIU