CCLA has written to Western University to express concern over its apparent banning of two community members from campus. Media reports suggest that two London protestors have been banned from the university campus for one year for “participating in a prohibited activity” – that is, attending a protest on campus that was peaceful, but was not “approved.”
CCLA is concerned that Western unduly limits the ability to protest on its premises, and is punishing individuals and denying them access to the campus on the basis of participation in a peaceful protest. Especially concerning is that one individual may have been acting in a journalistic capacity at the time.
A fundamental role of universities is to provide settings in which ideas and opinions can be freely expressed in order to further public discourse, not to limit it. In exercising their power to deny entry to campus, universities should be guided by principles of fairness, due process, and the protection of fundamental liberties, including freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and the press.
Read CCLA’s letter to the President of Western University here.
