As the sun set on Friday, a Palestinian flag flew from the tallest building on Queen’s campus.
The Queen’s flag flying from Grant Hall’s clocktower was replaced by the Palestinian flag at approximately 5:30 p.m. on March 8. The flag was removed by campus security and emergency services.
In a statement, the University called the incident a “break and enter” which remains under investigation by campus security and Kingston Police.
The original statement by the University asked community to report experiences that impact their physical safety, or in the case community witness a “hate-motivated” incident on campus. Later in the day, the statement was updated removing the words “hate motivated.”
The flag was raised during a solidarity protest outside Richardson Hall, calling on Queen’s to divest from investments with connections to Israel. Approximately 60 people gathered at the event, “All Out Against Austerity,” to show their .
Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) said the incident was an act of liberation in a statement posted to Instagram on March 9. The protest was organized in conjunction with Queen’s Students Versus Budget Cuts, demonstrating discontent amongst two student advocacy groups.
“From the peaks of Turtle Island to the olive trees of Gaza, our flag flies for liberation. We persist until every horizon is touched by the breeze of freedom, so that every child everywhere can fly the kite of peace,” SPHR said.
Corrections
A previous version of this article incorrectly reported that Queen’s University labelled the flag raising as a “hate crime.” The University has always asserted the incident was a “break and enter.” Incorrect information appeared in The Queen’s Journal.
The Journal regrets the error
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