A group of protesters entered the Office of the President today to stage a demonstration in support of two non-community members who were issued campus trespass orders last month.
There were no injuries sustained at today’s event and the President was engaged in meetings off campus at the time.
The protesters were seeking to have those trespass orders overturned following an incident that took place in the University Students’ Council’s (USC) University Community Centre (UCC) building on Feb. 1, 2012.
The University had already begun a review into the circumstances surrounding the trespass notices that were issued at that time.
Western wanted to ensure that appropriate steps had been taken to balance the interests and concerns of all members of the University community and, explicitly to ensure the right to free speech is upheld. Today’s action will now become part of that review.
From the time of the initial incident, this issue has been about campus safety and the use of student space, not freedom of speech. Sanctions taken by the University in support of the USC as a follow-up to the initial incident were based on the conduct of the individuals involved, not on the content of any particular individual or student group’s message or political cause.
The University recognizes that there are some very emotional and divisive issues debated on campus. As such, the processes that student leadership has put in place at Western’s UCC building are intended to allow such issues to be addressed – while limiting opportunity for confrontations to break out – that could in turn threaten the safety of those involved.
The policies in place at the UCC – which is student-operated – are meant to explicitly ensure that free speech can take place on our campus. Space that is intended for students and governed by students within this building is the result of an evolution of student leadership decisions on behalf of all students to promote an environment where all voices are heard. The model created is one where debate among students can take place within a civil and safe manner.