Mennonite group rallies alongside Occupy UW

Local Gaza demonstrations Occupy UW was joined by “Mennonite Action” Thursday evening to mark one month of an encampment calling for change. Stefanie Davis has more.

A Mennonite activist group joined pro-Palestinian demonstrators at the University of Waterloo Thursday evening.

The group Mennonite Action rallied in support of Occupy UW, as they marked one month since setting up its encampment on campus.

“We must be vocal and adamant about our peace values, especially in times of warfare and injustice,” said Sam Ramer, an organizer with Mennonite Action, adding they’re in support of the demands Occupy UW has for the university.

“[Demands] of disclosure, divestment from weapons manufacturers and divestments from corporation that are profiting off of the occupation in Palestine,” said Ramer.

On Monday, the university’s senate voted in favour of one of the group’s demands, which was to disclose its investments.

Occupy UW members say they don’t plan to leave until the university agrees to all of their demands.

“We demand commitments, not committees. Not a single one of us will back down until the demands of all of us are met,” said Sarah Ahmed with Occupy UW.

In a statement, the University of Waterloo said the school has a long track record of protecting and supporting the right to protest.

“The University has also begun work it committed to before the encampment started to consider its institutional investments and partnerships, and motions supporting that work were discussed and approved during a Senate meeting on Monday,” said a university spokesperson.

“It is precisely because our students and faculty have been undertaking this meaningful engagement that the University had made commitments to addressing these important questions that the current protest encampment is asking.”