Occupy UW has announced that they will be voluntarily ending their encampment Sunday, July 7 at 8 p.m. UW will rescind their injunction and claim proceeding against the group when it is confirmed that the encampment is completely gone.
The decision comes after series of discussions between the UW and Occupy UWaterloo’s encampment members, presided over by a mediator. UW has also dropped the $1.5 million lawsuit on the encampment.
The encampment has been present on the Grad House Green for almost two months, starting on May 13.
“Palestinian advocacy does not end with this encampment. We are going to continue pressuring our institution to disclose investments and boycott. We are going to do all we can for Palestinian liberation,” said Nicholas Joseph, media liaison for the encampment, in a statement. “We are the students, we are the faculty, we are the staff, we are the gears by which this machine runs, and this is a monumental demonstration that the power is in our hands.”
Despite this announcement, the encampment was still in full swing and high spirits with a celebration of Palestinian culture in their community Maqlubeh potluck event taking place today.
The end of the UW encampment is similarly followed by the end of the encampment on the University of Toronto’s campus that took place July 3.
