The pro-Palestine encampment set up in University of Guelph’s Branion Plaza is being asked to move over, after the Guelph Fire Services raised safety concerns about its current location.
In a news release posted Friday, the university said an assessment conducted by the university’s campus safety office and Guelph Fire Services found that some of the tents set up along Reynolds Walk were obstructing the evacuation pathway from Zavitz Hall.
“This has raised concerns around the ability to safely exit the building in the event of a fire and the ability for firefighters to access the building in response to a fire,” the release said.
In response, Guelph Fire has issued an order for the evacuation pathway to be unobstructed as of today for fire safety concerns. The release states members of the encampment were told Thursday they would need to move their tents and personal belongings 10 feet away from Zavitz Hall.
Once the encampment is moved, the university plans to install “safety fencing” between Zavitz Gall and the encampment “to ensure the evacuation route remains clear and accessible.”
The release also states there “cannot be any signs or flags placed along the fencing, other than evacuation routing signs installed by physical resources, to prevent obstructions and flammable or combustible hazards in the area.”
A group of students, staff and faculty set up the encampment on campus on May 21 to protest the university’s military-related investments in Israel amid the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
They don’t plan to leave until their demands are met.
