'Blindsided' students fume over Western University's new campus protest policy

Student groups in London, Ont., say Western University's new protest policyrestricts their rights and will have a chilling effect on campus free speech.

Groups now have to get authorizationfrom Western's director of campus safety and emergency services (CSES) at least five business days before a planned demonstration, the new policy, which wentinto effect Aug. 29, states.

If approved, the director will provide "reasonable directions,including time, location and manner for the demonstration," the policy said. Protests can only happenfrom 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Fridayand individuals can't advertise protests until they're approved.

"This seems like a very blatant attempt from Western to depoliticize and really suppress student protests on campus," said Eva Deligiannis, a second-year graduate student andmember of the student-led climate crisis coalition at Western.

"It'sclear to me that this is an indirect response to the [pro-Palestinian] encampments that we saw this summer and I think the university was intimidated by the growing collective strength of our voices and they were really trying to crackdown on that."

The environmental justice groupfrequently protests Western's investments in the fossil fuel industry and its sustainability portfolio. It also supported theencampments on Western's campus from May to July, as similar protests were held across Canada.

The new Western policy requires individuals to email CSESwith information including: the demonstration's purpose, an organizer's contact information, a date and time and proposed location and how many people are expected to attend.Applications can be denied if the proposed demonstrations can result in undue risk to an individual, the university, or violate the law.

No one from university administration was available for CBC's multiple interview requests, but a spokesperson said in an emailed statement thatWesternwill continue to support peaceful protest and the policy's goal is to maintain a safe campus.

"If an event is approved, CSESwill work with the organizers to develop a plan that prioritizes the safety of the attendees as well as the wider campus community, while ensuring normal university business can continue,"StephenLedgley wrote.

Decisions will be based on an assessment of the requested event and any potential risks outlined, Ledgley said, adding that anyone who holds a demonstration without approval may be redirected to another location or the event will be forced to end.A failure to follow these rules may result in sanctions or trespassing charges.

New rules disappointing, student council says

The new rules came as a shock tothe students' council, an independent student-led organization that advocates to administration on behalf ofundergraduate students.

"We think this procedure is disappointing as it has a direct impact on student's freedom of expression," said council president Emilie Kalaydjian.

"We were not consulted by admin, and considering that we partake in regular meetings with senior leaders at Western, ultimately we feel blindsided," she said in an email.

"The procedure doesn't lay out any repercussions, but will have a chilling effect on free speech on campus. Just the introduction of this procedure alone has made students feel that their right to peaceful protest is not welcome on campus."

The policydoes not create a trusting environment between students and administration, said Munya Haddara, a representative with Western's Muslim Students Association.

"This university is basically saying it doesn't trust students and is in a position where they have to control every aspect of students' advocacy," she said. "Whether the idea is to keep people safedoesn't really matter much when you look at the impact this is going to have."

Protests often follow major international events and can't always be planned in advance, Haddara said. BothDeligiannis and Haddarasaid groups were previously never required to consult with CSES, but students did so on their own accord to ensure things ran smoothly.

"We really believe the university is not there to police student protests and that a protest with permission isn't really a protest becauseit's not pushing any boundaries,criticizing or targeting the points that we take issue in the same way,"Deligiannissaid.

Policy clashes with freedom of expression: former law prof

The policy will potentially clash with the university'sfreedom of expression policy from2018and may violate Charter rights, saidMichael Lynk, a professoremeritus of law at Western.

The 2018 policy states all members of the university's community have "the right to examine,represent, question, advocate for and comment on any issue without reference to prescribed doctrine."

It also includes the right to criticize the university and society at large and states that while protests maygenerate controversy and disputes, theuniversity's roleis to provide an open and inclusive environment where debate, challenge and disagreement should be expected.

"There's no sense of recognition in this new policy that freedom of expression is going to be taken into account about how broad it is and how narrow the exceptions should be with respect to holding demonstrations, because they are protected by freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association," said Lynk.

"Itsabsence makes me worried that the university will wind up making poor decisions that are contrary to its mission with respect to allowing or not allowing demonstrations."

Lynk,who was on the committee that created the policy six years ago, said North American universities have a decades-long history of student protests, which are essential to their core missions and limiting that will inevitably result in pushback.