On instagram on posts from uni4pal.uw, there was an indication that representatives from U of W administration met with the representatives of the pro-Palestinian encampment on May 30,2024. The Winnipeg Jewish Review wrote to the U of W on June 7 asking :

1. Since the  U of W has already written to the Winnipeg Jewish  Review in previous correspondence that the encampment is "unlawful",  and is " not approved" by the  U of W administration, why would  the  U of W agree to meet and discuss the demands of the encampers, when they are engaged in illegal activity? Isn't this caving into pressure from illegal encampers? 

The U of W Communications responded that “ the encampment’s demands were posted on social media and have not been directly shared with the University. Also, no negotiation has taken place.[emphasis added] On May 30, the University provided information regarding investments, and there was no discussion. "

Regarding the University’s financial holdings, the U of W has stated on May 31,2024:

• The University of Winnipeg does not have any equity investments.
• Any within-year unspent funds are held in a savings account, and any interest earned is reinvested into University operations.

Regarding the University of Winnipeg Foundation:

• The Foundation is independent of the University and is managed by its own CEO and Board.
• The Foundation does not receive any funding from the University, nor does it receive any funds to invest on behalf of the University.
• The Foundation is a registered charity that receives donations from individuals, families, groups, other charities, and companies to support scholarships and bursaries for UWinnipeg students and some capital projects.
• The Foundation has no direct investments of any kind.
• The Foundation has an endowment that is managed by external companies, which are signatories to the United Nations Principles of Responsible Investment and the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative.
• The Foundation’s commitment to responsible investment is outlined in its Responsible Investing Policy.

On Instagram on May 27 uni4pal.uw made a post that said, " Reject Normalization. Honour The Martyrs. Support Palestinian Resistance." 

The post calls for the honouring of George Habash, who is the founder of the PLFP (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine), which is recognized as a terror group under Canada’s Criminal Code since 2003. This post is made by those who are part of the pro-Palestinian encampment on UW premises and/or affiliated with the said encampment.

The Winnipeg Jewish Review sent questions to U of W on May 28,2024 about this and in its response of May 30,2024 of  U of W acknowledged that the encampment which has been set up on its grounds is illegal, is not authorized, violates U of W policies and has not been approved. But UW failed to state it was going to do anything about this, such as applying the trespass laws to shut the encampment down.

The questions the Winnipeg Jewish Review asked and the complete answer received are set out below

 Questions to U of W President's Office:

1.Has the U of W engaged legal counsel to determine whether glorifying  and/or allowing for the glorification of  a known terrorist on its premises is  lawful as per the Criminal Code and/or the Human Rights Code?

2.Since the  U of W is subject to the Human Rights Code, does the U of W  recognize that the honouring of the founder of  a terror group responsible for the death of many Jews, on its premises violates  the Human Rights Code, by fostering a climate of discrimination against Jews/Zionists on its campus premises?

3.Does the U of W recognize that the encampment which is honouring a head of a terror group as per the Canadian Criminal Code,  is thus creating a hostile, intimidating, harassing and threatening environment for Jewish/Zionist  students on campus, for  which the U of W is directly responsible ?

4. Does the glorification of terrorists not infringe the UW’s Respectful Work and Learning Policies?

5. What supervision is the UW exercising over the encampment, and in light of its glorification of terror, will the U of W now seek to exercise its rights to end the encampment?

6. Does the UW really expect Jewish/Zionist students to feel safe on campus with this going on?

On May 30, 2024   UW Communications answered as follows:

Thank you for reaching out to the university regarding the encampment that has been set up on university grounds.

We condemn all forms of anti-Semitism. The encampment is not authorized by the university. We have previously stated that it is violates our policies and we have not approved it. The University is not responsible for posts by groups that are on our grounds illegally and without our approval. 

Any perceived violations of the Criminal Code should be reported to law enforcement. Winnipeg Police Services is aware of the encampment and its messaging. 

Our Safety and Security Team is continuing to work hard to ensure our campus remains safe for all students. We are currently monitoring the situation with a view to ensuring that all students, faculty, and staff can continue to work and learn in a safe environment.

You can find all the university's latest statements and updates on the situation on this page: https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/encampment-updates/index.html. (We'll ask our team to send you a note when new content is published on this page.)

Sincerely,

University Communications