Students staying put on uOttawa's campus as pro-Palestinian encampment continues
It's another day of staying sleeping in a tent on the University of Ottawa's campus for Ayham Hakimi.
"We have to be here. I believe it's our obligation from all of us," he said.
The uOttawa student has been camping out for days in front of Tabaret Hall as part of what organizers are calling a peaceful student-led protest. It's his way of showing support for his friends and loved ones directly affected by the ongoing war in Gaza.
A demonstration that began Monday turned into an encampment on Tuesday evening, after organizers say they were not being heard by the university's administration. On Saturday, there were at least 60 tents set up on the lawn.
"I lived in Palestine for five years, so I lived in Jerusalem. Everything has changed," he said.
"That's what they all tell me. They feel like life is just not the same at all. And so it's quite difficult for them to even just process what's going on there."
Similar protests are taking place throughout Canada and the United States. Groups of students are demanding universities end their investment in companies and organizations with ties to Israel.
"Putting pressure on our institutions will put pressure on our government," said INSAF (Integrity Not Spite Against Falastin) president Sumayya Kheireddine, one of the groups organizing the encampment.
"We are ready to be here until we get what we want. Our demands are clear and we are here to stay until they are met."
Organizers say the majority camping out are uOttawa students, but Saturday saw more people joining their cause. Local Palestinian coalitions led a march from the Canadian human rights monument to the encampment.
MPP Sarah Jama also spoke at the rally.
"I’m here to remind you to hold your ground and I will hold my ground with you," said the Ontario legislator who was recently banned from returning to chamber for one day after refusing to remove her keffiyah at Queen’s Park.
While safety has been a concern for some Ottawa residents, those passing nearby say they're okay with the demonstration.
"I'm from Kanata," said one passerby. "I came in today just to drop off some supplies."
"I don't think there's anything wrong with it as long as it's not disrupting," said a uOttawa student.
"We still have Tabaret Hall here that we can walk through."
CTV Ottawa reached out to the uOttawa Jewish Association, the Chabad Student Network and the University of Ottawa for a statement, but did not receive a response.
Earlier this week, the university says they are committed to protecting freedom of expression and the right to demonstrate peacefully. They say their priority is on the safety and wellbeing of all members of the community.
"We're willing to stay as long as it takes until the university responds to our demands," said Hakimi.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Hackers release corporate data stolen from London Drugs
Retailer London Drugs says cybercriminals who stole files from its corporate head office last month have released some of the data after it refused to pay a ransom.
Toronto man falls off his chair after seeing $70M Lotto Max win in his bank account
A Toronto man who won $70 million in a recent Lotto Max draw literally fell off his chair when he saw the funds in his bank account.
Montreal-area high school students protest 'sexist' dress code
Approximately 50 Montreal-area students — the vast majority of them female — were suspended Wednesday after their school deemed the shorts they were wearing were too short. On Thursday, several students staged a walk-out to protest what they believe is a "sexist" dress code that unfairly targets girls.
'Looking over our shoulders': A killing looms large in a little B.C. town
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished. It used to be the sort of place where parents let their kids roam free or play in the local creek, but everything has changed.
'I won't stop,' Celine Dion says in trailer for upcoming doc about her health woes
Celine Dion's fans are getting a first glimpse of the superstar's struggle with a rare neurological disorder in an emotional trailer for an upcoming documentary about her career and life.
Tim Meadows pledges not to shave until the Oilers win the cup, who are the team's other famous fans?
An unlikely celebrity emerged from social media to cheer on the Edmonton Oilers as they face the Dallas Stars tonight in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.
American Airlines retreats after blaming a 9-year-old for not seeing a hidden camera in a lavatory
American Airlines has distanced itself from a court filing in which the carrier said a nine-year-old girl should have noticed there was a camera taped to the seat of an airplane lavatory.
Luxury beauty brand Clarins to pull out of Hudson's Bay stores in Canada
French luxury makeup and skincare brand Clarins is pulling out of Hudson's Bay stores in Canada.
'It's over': Minister says B.C.'s decision on Surrey police transition upheld in court
The B.C. Supreme Court has ruled in the provincial government's favour on the City of Surrey's legal challenge to its ongoing transition to a municipal police force, according to B.C. Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth.