At 9:30 a.m. on February 3, two UBC employees — members of UBC Staff for Palestine — delivered printed copies of a petition to the offices of President Benoit Antoine-Bacon, Associate VP Equity and Inclusion Arig al Shaibah and Aquatic Centre’s Operation Manager Christine Saunders.
The Ubyssey was invited to follow the pair around — but their identities have been withheld in order to protect them against potential employer retaliation for their participation in advocacy for Palestinian human rights, consistent with The Ubyssey’s anonymity policy.
The petition, signed by 1,470 UBC community members as of publication time, according to the proponents, demands the university cancel hosting the Invictus Games at the Aquatic Centre on February 14 on account of former members of the Israeli Defence Forces participating.
The Invictus Games is an international sports competition for wounded, injured and sick military service personnel, both serving and veterans.
In a statement to The Ubyssey, Invictus Games organizers wrote "We understand that there will be views and concerns over Israel’s continued participation in the Invictus Community."
"Our focus is on the non-political, personal stories of its competitors and their family and friends, looking at the universal challenges of overcoming injuries and illness."
Organizers did not specify whether current or former members of the Israeli armed forces will be participating specifically in the swimming events at the Aquatic Centre, as the petition alleges. The Games' registration webpage currently does not list any competitors participating in the events taking place on campus.
On February 3, the two petitioners walked through snow with two bags filled with stacks of paper and delivered the printouts to the respective offices.
“Despite the personal success stories that some military members describe through their participation, the Invictus Games also serve as a public relations tool that normalizes and glorifies military institutions by glossing over the destructive realities of war, often including violations of international law and civilian harm,” the petition reads.
The petition includes three demands, for UBC to cancel their agreement to host the games, for UBC leadership to divest from companies protestors say are involved in genocide and occupation and for UBC to release a public statement acknowledging Israel’s ongoing genocide and reaffirm UBC will not host any institution implicated in war crimes.
In November 2024, a United Nations special committee released a report finding Israel’s methods of warfare in Gaza are consistent with genocide, including the use of starvation in war.
The petition also alleges that the presence of former Israeli military personnel violates the university’s Respectful Environment Statement because it does not provide students, staff or faculty “with the best possible conditions for learning, researching and working.”
In a statement to The Ubyssey, UBC Media Relations Director of University Affairs Matthew Ramsey wrote the university has received the petition and is aware of community concerns regarding the Invictus Games.
“UBC provides rented venue space to hundreds of external events annually across campus. Given this is an external event, the university has no further comments on the specific concerns raised by the petitioners.”
In a statement sent to The Ubyssey after the petition’s delivery, the staff members wrote “staff have been working alongside and in support of the student movement. Staff are supporting students with their research, resources, institutional awareness, and institutional knowledge.”
The staff members also said that the Association of Administrative and Professional Staff at UBC, which represents over 6,000 staff members, passed a motion in October 2024 calling on UBC to divest from organizations complicit in human rights violations, specifically referencing Palestine and Lebanon.
“Despite the challenges and pressures, growing numbers of staff are coming together in support of students and in opposition to the university’s scandalous decision to host the Israeli military when the state is committing genocide and crimes against humanity,” the staff members wrote.
“We care deeply about the UBC community and are so proud of the students who continue to drag and push the university to divest from investments in weapons companies and to end its complicity.”
This article was updated on February 10 at 4:56 p.m. to include a statement from the Invictus Games organizers.
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