Western Campus Rec

ALT An Orange Shirt Day flag flies at Western University

ALT We are aware students are gathering today to peacefully protest the University’s vaccine and masking requirements for the fall. We respect students’ rights to peacefully protest on campus, and we are supporting them to do so safely. It has also come to our attention that groups not associated with our campus community are looking to use this peaceful protest as a platform to express their own grievances. We are concerned that this event will be used for reasons other than what our students have planned, creating a risk of it becoming disruptive and potentially dangerous.

ALT Our fall health and safety plans have one goal in mind: to ensure a healthy community so that we can protect in-person learning throughout the school year. We know this decision has spurred significant conversation – and as a centre of higher learning we encourage the exchange of differing viewpoints and ideas, while valuing constructive debate. We are not, however, in favour of actions that risk the safety of peaceful protestors or others who happen to be on campus or in our neighbouring communities. We are coordinating with our community partners, including London Police Service, to ensure that our students’ event can proceed safely.