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TEACH-INS, RALLIES, ART PROJECTS CONTINUED THIS WEEK MARKING NAKBA DAY, ISRAELI INDEPENDENCE DAY, GREAT MARCH OF RETURN

The third week of student encampment at the University of Ottawa saw several meetings between student organizers, INSAF (translation: justice, equity) and the Palestinian Students Association (PSA), and the university administration. 

Beginning on April 29 as a sit-in, the encampment quickly grew in size and support within its first week of existence. Supported by volunteers and community donations, the encampment has continued onto its third week.

Encampment demonstrators have four outlined demands: full disclosure of investments; complete divestment from Israeli-linked corporations; severing academic ties with “Zionist academic institutions” (such as an exchange program with Tel Aviv University) ; and adopting the Arab Canadian Lawyers Association’s definition of anti-Palestinian racism.

Day 15 (Monday, May 13)

The beginning of the week was marked by a preliminary meeting with organizers, the University of Ottawa Students’ Union (UOSU) members and the U of O Board of Governors secretary-general, Annick Bergeron. A more “substantive” meeting was scheduled with the administration’s chief investment officer, François Dionne for the afternoon of May 15.

Later that afternoon, volunteers constructed a poster display, listing the names of young children (aged 0-3) killed by Israeli forces in Gaza. The data was from Al Jazeera, collected from Oct. 7 to Jan. 25.

The day’s programming concluded with educational speeches from members from Faculty 4 Palestine (F4P). First was Nadia Abu-Zahra, an associate U of O professor in international development. Abu-Zahra discussed the role of post-secondary education institutions in an age of genocide. 

Next was Atiya Husain, an associate law professor at Carleton University, who discussed the relationship between religion, colonialism and Islam. The final speech was from Michel Andraos, the dean of the faculty of theology at Saint-Paul University. 

Day 16 (Tuesday, May 14) 

Much of Tuesday was dominated by a high-tension rally against the Israeli flag-raising ceremony at Ottawa City Hall. Although the usually is public ceremony marking Israeli Independence Day was cancelled this year, both Israeli supporters and Palestinian solidarity protestors arrived. 

Marked by a significant police presence, both parties held remembrance ceremonies for lost loved ones and sang national anthems. Although Israeli supporters were commemorating the date Israel was established as a state, Palestinian solidarity protestors were reflecting on the displacement of thousands of Palestinians as part of the Nakba.

Several hours later, around 100 protestors arrived at Tabaret Lawn to support the encampment and participate in the day’s program.

In the evening, Dr. Nahla Abdo, a Carleton University professor who studies settler-colonialism and decolonization, discussed colonialism, imperialism and Palestinian history.

Day 17 (Wednesday, May 15)

After a scheduled meeting with François Dionne, the university’s chief investment officer, INSAF, PSA, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) Carleton, and Independent Jewish Voices (IJV) held a press conference to discuss the merits of the meeting.

The university agreed to provide a timeline for its investment disclosure by Friday, May 17, and also agreed to discuss the adoption of the Arab Canadian Lawyers Association’s definition of anti-Palestinian racism. The University of Ottawa Students’ Union (UOSU) members were also present in the meeting.

The meeting occurred on the 76th Nakba Day, which commemorates the expulsion of over 750,000 Palestinians in 1948. PSA vice-president, Layan Ibrahim, reminded attendees that “the Nakba never ended.”

“Should the murder of over 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza not be considered a legitimate cause for immediate divestment?” INSAF president Sumayya Kheirddine asked the press conference attendees. “We will remain firmly rooted here demanding that the [U of O] immediately prioritize human life and support their students in standing on the right side of history…our power is in numbers, our power is together until liberation and return.”

In the evening, speakers, such as Sarah Zeitoun and Nabil Hamadeh, shared their stories of the Nakba, while children drew the Palestinian flag onto the sidewalk with chalk.

Day 18 (Thursday, May 16)

Thursday saw few scheduled events and no major movement on protesters’ demands. Students spent the day folding origami paper cranes for Gaza, with the goal of reaching 1000 cranes. The belief that folding a thousand paper cranes makes one wish come true was popularized in the West by the book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, whose titular character is a child who has developed cancer because of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima. 

Students making these paper cranes drew parallels between Sadako and children in Palestine, who “bear the burden of war. It’s cruel and unfair.”

Dr. Nahla Abdo returned in the evening for a teach-in about genocide and resistance, which was followed by a chant circle and a discussion about resistance in Cuba.

Day 19 (Friday, May 17)

Early on Friday, INSAF and PSA announced that the university administration would publicly disclose a list of their investments on June 1, after a follow-up meeting with chief investment officer, Dionne. 

Friday also marked the final day of the 91st Congrès de l’Acfas, a Francophone scientific research conference held at the university from May 13-17. Student protesters disrupted meetings in four classrooms in Lamoureux Hall and Vanier Hall with speeches demanding the U of O divest from Israeli companies. A video from INSAF’s Instagram account shows protesters interrupting a meeting, with one explaining “there can be no more business as usual.”

Day 20 (Saturday, May 18)

Day 20 of the student protest on Tabaret Lawn was marked by a community protest, an appearance from Joel Harden and a teach-in about Palestinian artifacts.

After the rally, the lawn filled with families and community members who set up picnic blankets in the sunny weather.

A teach-in about Palestinian history through its artifacts was led by Dr. Ahmed Ahmed, a pediatrician and associate professor at the U of O. In his lecture, he discussed the beginnings of Zionism and the“one-state solution of Palestine.”

The teach-in ended with artifacts being passed around, including Palestinian coins, bills and stamps that pre-date the establishment of Israel.The teach-in was followed by the Asr prayer and a fireside chat, which ended the day’s events.

— with files from Andrew Wilimek