The Canadian Press Published Saturday, August 27, 2022 2:36 PM EDT Last Updated Saturday, August 27, 2022 4:01 PM EDT
LONDON, Ontario – A student organizer behind Saturday’s protest against Western University’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate says the demonstration is “just the beginning” of the push to overturn the controversial policy.
Hundreds of people gathered on campus to hear 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 says 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.
Speakers included a former professor at Western-affiliated University College Huron, who says 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 COVID – 19 mandates.
Students carrying a banner reading “Enough is Enough” led a march around the university grounds as campus security watched.
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.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on August 27, 2022.
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