UWindsor reviewing deal to end pro-Palestinian encampment as demonstrators urge action

The University of Windsor is reviewing a deal by encampment protesters, a spokesperson said Monday, as demonstrators marched around campus urging administration to sign the deal.

Now in it's 60th day, encampment organizers say they're hoping to reach a quick and peaceful end to the protest.

"We've been out here for two months. Windsor for Palestine has been out here for nine months, going in the streets every single week," said protester Jamiel Nasser. "This is what the community wants …I think this is evidence of that, that people are willing to come out here on a Monday at 3 p.m."

Nasser declined to comment on the specifics of the deal Monday, but protesters have previously said they want support for Palestinian scholars, the university to divest from funds that benefit Israel, and to stop the admission of students who were members of the Israel Defense Forces as of October 2023.

"We've been in negotiations for a while and I think, we've made our demands pretty clear and we've been negotiating in very good faith … We're just waiting on the university. So the ball is in their court."

Protesters at the University of Windsor say they have come up with a deal with the university, but are waiting for administration to sign off. The university says the deal is being reviewed. (Kathleen Saylors/CBC)

The University of Windsor says it is reviewing a deal that it says was signed by students on June 28.

"At that time, it was made clear to them that several reviews needed to take place before the university could move forward," a spokesperson said.

"It is important that agreements of this nature are reviewed for their legal, human rights and operational implications, and this takes time. University of Windsor leaders have dedicated significant time, energy, and resources to ensuring the discussions were open, honest and conducted with integrity and transparency."