The president of the University of British Columbia has told pro-Palestinian protesters that the school must remain neutral on the Gaza conflict.
Benoit-Antoine Bacon says in response to demands by the organizers of a protest encampment on the Vancouver campus that professors and students hold a broad range of opinions and the university can害羞草研究所檛 害羞草研究所減resume to speak for everyone.害羞草研究所�
Bacon says if the university took a position, it would undermine the rights of people who hold different views to express themselves.
He says the university isn害羞草研究所檛 engaging in 害羞草研究所渕oral relativism,害羞草研究所� and it hopes for a ceasefire and a lasting peace in the Middle East.
A handwritten set of the protesters害羞草研究所� demands shared by Bacon says they want UBC to 害羞草研究所渃ondemn and demand an end害羞草研究所� to what they call 害羞草研究所渢he genocide in Gaza.害羞草研究所�
Other demands include the university divesting from companies associated with Israel and its actions in Gaza, a boycott of Israeli institutions, a ban on the RCMP on campus, and an affirmation of 害羞草研究所淧alestinians害羞草研究所� right to resist.害羞草研究所�
Bacon says that UBC is willing to engage on divestment, but its endowment fund does not directly own stocks in companies identified by the movement.
On the matter of a boycott, he says the university respects faculty members who want to engage in academic partnerships.
He says UBC has been 害羞草研究所渕easured and restrained害羞草研究所� on the issue of police at protests, and he wants to 害羞草研究所渂etter understand害羞草研究所� the demand about affirming Palestinian rights.
Dozens of tents have been pitched at the university害羞草研究所檚 MacInnes Field since April 29 when the protest encampment began.
It is among encampments at multiple universities across Canada and elsewhere protesting the actions of Israel in the Gaza conflict.
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