LONDON, Ont. – A student organizer behind Saturday’s protest against Western University’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate says the demonstration is “just the beginning” in the push to overturn the controversial policy.
Hundreds of people gathered on campus to hear speakers decry the London, Ont., university’s decision to mandate at least three doses of vaccines 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 also include mandatory masks in classrooms.
Among the speakers were a former professor at West-affiliated Huron University College who says she refused to comply with the school’s previous vaccine mandate, as well as the acting health director of the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit, who has been outspoken critic of the COVID-19 orders.
Students holding a banner reading “Enough is Enough” led a march around the university as campus security looked on.
As the march drew to a close, some protesters broke away from organizers and briefly blocked traffic for a block along West Street before dispersing.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on August 27, 2022.
