Jordan Omstead, The Canadian Press Posted Saturday, August 27, 2022 2:36 pm EDT Last Updated Saturday, August 27, 2022 7:39 PM EDT
LONDON, Ontario – A protest against Western University’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate drew hundreds of people to the southwestern Ontario campus Saturday for what an event organizer called the beginning of a push to overturn the controversial policy.
Demonstrators marched across campus and listened to speakers condemn the University of London, Ontario’s decision to mandate at least three doses of the vaccine for staff, students and some visitors.
Organizer Kendra Hancock said she hopes the demonstration will lead to public negotiations and further consultation with students about the university’s rules, which include mandatory face coverings in classrooms.
“I think when they consult with students, they’re going to find that people want the choice back, and people want to eliminate all mandates,” Hancock said.
Speakers at the demonstration included a medical student, a former professor at Huron University College who said she refused to comply with the school’s previous vaccine mandate, and the acting chief medical officer of Haldimand-Norfolk Health, who has been an outspoken critic of the COVID-19 mandate.
Corinna Courtney, a fifth-year business student at Western, said she opposes the university’s mandate even though she has had a booster shot, adding that the decision to get vaccinated “should just be a choice.”
“I think it should be something that is universal and not subject to anyone’s judgment. The West should not have the power to make this decision for the people,” she said as she watched the demonstration.
But Courtney said she was even more disappointed by the university’s reinstated mask mandate than the recent vaccine requirements.
“I think it kind of affects how you relate to your peers,” she said.
Most universities in Ontario have not imposed vaccine or mask mandates for the fall semester, and the province has lifted rules on proof of vaccination in public places.
Western is the only university in Canada that mandates booster vaccinations for all staff and students on campus.
The University of Toronto and Trent University require residents to have three and two doses, respectively, and urge everyone else on campus to keep their vaccinations up to date.
“While we cannot predict when the next wave of COVID-19 may come, we believe these measures will help us protect the personal experience Western is known for,” Chancellor Florentin Strzelczyk said in a statement announcing the updated policy on -early this week.
James Donalds said he is ready to join his fellow nursing freshmen on campus next month, but said Saturday he will opt out this academic year if the vaccine policy remains in place.
Donalds criticized what he called a lack of transparency surrounding the university’s decision. He also questioned the timing of the announcement, which came after some students had already paid the first installment of tuition.
He said he felt “forced” to get two doses earlier in the pandemic when there was proof of vaccination rules. Now, he said, having “woke up to the situation,” he doesn’t want a third shot.
Students carrying a banner reading “Enough is Enough” led the march around the university grounds as campus security watched. Posters condemning “medical coercion” and others saying “I decide for myself” were common in the crowd, along with Canadian flags.
Just as the march drew to a close, some demonstrators broke away from organizers and briefly took over one lane of traffic for a block on Western Road before dispersing.
The university said in a statement Saturday that it respects “the rights of students to peacefully protest on campus.”
The statement also said the university was “concerned” that the event could be used by groups “unaffiliated with our campus community” for “reasons other than those intended by our students,” although it did not indicate specific groups.
In social media posts before Saturday’s demonstration, organizers said they had been informed of “developing safety concerns by campus police.” Organizers thanked outside community supporters, but asked that only students, parents, alumni, staff and speakers attend.
Hancock, the organizer, declined to provide details Saturday about the reported security concerns.
Hancock said she was kicked out of Western-affiliated Huron University College last academic year after her request for a religious exemption from the vaccine mandate was denied. She said she completed her bachelor’s degree online at Athabasca University and is set to begin a master’s in media in journalism and communication at Western this fall.
After Western announced the updated vaccine policy Monday, Hancock said she began organizing Saturday’s demonstration with the help of her parents and music student Hannah Salamon-Wegg.
As of Saturday, the “Enough is Enough Western” Instagram page run by Hancock had amassed more than 6,000 followers in five days.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on August 27, 2022.
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