Nearly three weeks after a pro-Palestine protest encampment appeared at the University of Victoria, the school says it briefly set up a security camera overlooking the camp, but decided to never activate it.
The message comes after protesters and some school staff raised concerns about the presence of a security camera, which was spotted at the top of the McPherson Library on May 8 before being taken down the same day.
A social media account run by protest organizers snapped photos of the camera being set up and placed, but in the days that followed UVic president Kevin Hall claimed protesters were “spreading misinformation” and that the school had never used a surveillance camera.
It was a message that many protesters did not believe.
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On Friday, the university told CHEK News that it did indeed set up the camera on the roof of the library on May 8, but decided not to use it.
“To be clear, the university has no cameras installed on the roof of McPherson Library,” a spokesperson said on May 17. “The university has considered installing CCTV for safety reasons, including an exploration of sites for placement. However, we decided not to proceed.”
The camera on top of the library was one of those “exploration of sites for placement,” but no cameras were ever activated anywhere on campus, according to the school.
Conflicting perspectives
The statement came after UVic’s president said on two occasions that the school did not set up surveillance cameras.
On May 10, in a statement addressing the protesters demands and the overall state of the encampment so far, he said, “For example, there have been accusations that the university has set up surveillance cameras on the roof of the Mearns Centre for Learning – McPherson Library—we have not.”
Then, five days later, Hall said, “…Spreading misinformation such as accusations that the university has set up surveillance cameras on the roof of the Mearns Centre for Learning – McPherson Library. As I have shared earlier, we have not.”
UVic tells CHEK News that it respects the privacy of the school community and that cameras “would not be installed on the UVic campus without clear communication with our community.”
School safety concerns
Halls previous two messages about the cameras were included in statements where he outlined that he was concerned about safety at the school amid the weeks-long protest.
In his most recent statement on May 15, he said there had been a spike in vandalism, shouting from protesters at passerby, and an increase in people accessing buildings overnight that are normally locked.
He noted that on May 7, campus security had to escort a man off campus who had reportedly attacked protesters twice.
Then, on May 14, a man who was living in a tent on campus was arrested for threatening people with a knife in the First Peoples House, though police and the protesters say the man was unrelated to the pro-Palestine encampment.
Still, Hall said recent events had him anxious about overall safety on campus, though he did say that the protest would be allowed to stay so long as it remained peaceful.
Protesters, meanwhile, have said they believe Hall’s recent statements are unfounded and that encampment members have always been peaceful.
Amid the tension, both sides have accused the other of refusing to hold constructive, good-faith conversations.
READ MORE:
- Organizers deny UVic safety concern claims amid clashes at pro-Palestine camp
- UVic president issues statement amid ongoing protest, arrest of knife-wielding man
The protest encampment is pictured on May 16, 2024. (CHEK News)
Adam Chan
