Protestors had set up an encampment near MacEwan Hall with the goal of pressuring the U of C to disclose and divest its financial ties with Israel.

Within 24 hours, the U of C issued trespass notices to the protestors and police removed the encampment using shields and batons. The lawsuit alleges police knew protestors were already dismantling and preparing to leave when they took action.

The lawsuit alleges protestors were punched, choked, struck with shields and batons, and that officers used pepper balls on the protestors, and as a result, they suffered concussions, psychological trauma and other painful injuries.

Roberta Lexier, a Mount Royal University professor who has researched the history of university student movements and protests, noted that other schools around the country saw similar, but less dramatic responses to pro-Palestinian encampments on university campuses.

“The situation in Calgary was unique in that the administration at the University of Calgary pretty quickly, basically, immediately called in the police to take care of the demonstration,” said Lexier. “The demonstration was basically demolished within about 18 hours of it being put up.”