University of Alberta president Bill Flanagan is defending the school’s decision to dismantle a pro-Palestine encampment, saying the gathering posed “serious and potentially life-threatening risks”.
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Edmonton city police in riot gear cleared the camp early Saturday morning after the university asked for help enforcing a trespass notice.
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“Although the broader public might assume the encampment posed no risk, it is essential to underscore the serious and potentially life-threatening risks associated with the encampment in the quad,” Flanagan stated.
Flanagan said police found ”potential weapons” while clearing the camp, “including hammers, axes and screwdrivers, along with a box of needles.”
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Independent Jewish Voices Edmonton, one of the groups organizing the protest, said the tools were used to set up tents and hang banners.
The needles were “medical supplies brought by a certified first aid provider,” the organization said in a statement on social media.
Flanagan also highlighted the presence of wooden pallets “within 150 metres” of the camp, saying they posed a fire hazard. He said the pallets — which protesters said were brought in to elevate tents in the event of rain — could be used to construct barricades.
Not acceptable. What a steaming turd pile of excuses.