Dan McKechnie

Protesters barred from occupying U of A campus

Dozens of protesters were prevented from stepping onto University of Alberta grounds by police last Wednesday afternoon after claiming they would rally or camp on campus.

The protest, which included participants from the Occupy Edmonton movement and the Faculty of Arts solidarity group, started at Ezio Faraone Park before coming to a halt on the northern end of Saskatchewan Drive.

The group of protesters were stationed across the street from HUB Mall for several hours after being barred entrance by university officials, Edmonton Police Service (EPS) and University of Alberta Protective Services (UAPS). Nearly 20 uniformed EPS officers blocked the protesters’ entrance to campus. The officers stated that non-students would be charged with trespassing if they crossed the street, while students would be also punished if they set up tents on U of A grounds.

Some of the protesters’ complaints included the budget cuts and rising tuition fees affecting the U of A, which Occupy member Katie Nelson called a “huge standard of inequality.” Nelson also took issue with the university asking protesters to remain off campus.

“This is an institution that’s supposed to foster free speech, open dialogue and advocacy that’s blocking us right now,” Nelson said. “We’re here to fight for equality and we’re not allowed to speak.”

The U of A responded with an official statement on their blog, saying they had already provided Occupy protesters with an explanation as to why they would be unable to set up camp on U of A property.

“Simply, any attempt to establish an Occupy camp on University of Alberta property — which is private property — will put the U of A community at risk, and, further, it will interfere with the university’s clear responsibility to effectively deliver its programs and services to students, staff and faculty,” the blog stated.

Previous attempts to negotiate proved futile, as both sides claimed the other hadn’t satisfied their demands prior to the protest.

Students’ Union executives were also invited to appear and support students’ rights to peaceful assembly.

“I’m not sure how much the university can do in order for the government to increase grants, to be honest,” said Farid Iskandar, Students’ Union vice-president

(external). “They’re working with us in order to have the Campus Alberta grant not be zero per cent again, because that does damage us. I hope that the government in the next budget considers post-secondary as a priority moving forward, and has budget increases for the (U of A).”

Some students watching the protest nearby disagreed with the Occupy movement’s requests.

“I think a lot of people over there have an oversimplified view of how (their requests) can happen and why it’s happening,” said U of A student Sean Bradley. “I don’t think it’s a simple as, ‘We’re going to start a revolution and everyone’s going to listen, and we’re all going to agree on certain things now.’ There’s always going to be conflict.”

But protesters said it was important to send a message to U of A administration, despite others viewing their methods as ineffective.

“People may criticize this movement and say, ‘They’re not really making any difference,’ or ‘This is just for show,’ but at the end of the day, I prefer to be on the side of people who are actually standing up for something,” argued Brent Kelly, an SU arts councillor.

“We have to believe that we can make a difference. Because if we don’t believe, then really we sacrifice democracy. If we don’t act, if we don’t try, if we don’t stand up for a better world, then I don’t really know what democracy would be.”

The protesters stood on Saskatchewan Drive for nearly three hours before moving on to Whyte Avenue.

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