UBC Okanagan graduation organizers and a Pro-Palestinian encampment on the campus are both preparing for a weekend of convocations.

On June 4, the People鈥檚 University for Gaza UBCO posted a guideline for graduating students who wish to protest at the convocation ceremony, which will be held on June 6 and 7.

The guideline called 鈥�, encourages students to 鈥� among other things 鈥� bring a Palestinian flag on stage and refuse to shake the hand of UBC President Benoit-Antoine Bacon, or principal and deputy vice-chancellor Lesley Cormack.

The group has also invited graduating students, their families and friends to stop by the encampment to celebrate and 鈥淩emember the students in Palestine.鈥�

In past years, the graduation ceremony was held in the courtyard but this year the ceremony has been moved to the gymnasium.

The encampment, comprised of students, members of the community and approximately 20 tents has been stationed on the UBCO campus courtyard for the past three and a half weeks.

In conjunction with an encampment on Vancouver鈥檚 UBC campus, the People鈥檚 University for Gaza UBCO is asking .

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The protesters are specifically asking for settlements in Palestinian territories and those that manufacture weapons sold to Israel.

UBC has responded to the claims by saying that the university鈥檚 鈥淓ndowment Fund does not directly own any stocks in the companies identified by the movement.鈥�

Instead, UBC said capital is held in pooled funds and managed by external investment managers, 鈥渨ith the identified companies accounting for about 0.28 per cent of the Endowment Fund.鈥�

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The protesters are also calling on UBC to participate in the global academic boycott of Israeli Universities, to condemn any acts of genocide in Gaza, reaffirm Palestinian鈥檚 right to resist and return and to keep police off campus.

UBC has responded to the students in a statement that is available at The university said it will maintain 鈥渦niversity neutrality鈥� and will not be taking a position on the crisis but said, 鈥淲e hope for a ceasefire and a lasting peaceful resolution in the Middle East.鈥�

In a statement emailed to graduating students on June 4, UBCO stated graduation organizers are aware of the protesters on 琉璃神社鈥檚 campus and are 鈥渁ctively monitoring the situation and prioritizing the safety of all our community members, graduates and visitors to campus.鈥�

The statement clarifies that as a precaution, 鈥渆nhanced security鈥� will be present in and around the gymnasium and other facilities on campus. It also states that staff and marshals will be on-site to 鈥渆nsure a smooth graduation experience.鈥�

Graduation organizers also said that bags would be checked and asked that graduates leave all personal belongings behind as they would not be permitted on the stage.

The email from the university鈥檚 graduation organizers comes after members of the encampment at a public presentation on June 3, titled, Ashes to Action: Learning to live with wildfires.

In a written statement to Capital News, the People鈥檚 University for Gaza UBCO stated, 鈥淪ecurity does not make students safer,鈥� and said it expects the increased security at the graduation will create a 鈥渉ostile environment for graduating students and their families.鈥�

The protesters said 鈥淯BC must ultimately do everything in its power to make conditions safer for people in Rafah and meet the demands of the encampment,鈥� and have said they will remain on campus for as long as it takes to have their demands met.