LONDON — Foot traffic was impeded in the University Community Centre atrium on November 17 as members of the Western Solidarity Network staged a “die in,” blocking access to the Canadian Armed Forces recruitment table.

At approximately 12:05 p.m., five members of WSN lied down in front of the table, which had been rented for the day by the Canadian Armed Forces. Scattered on their bodies were various pamphlets questioning Canadian military practices and the treatment of soldiers. In addition, there were a few members of WSN sprinkled around the protest explaining their message and also handing out literature.

Mike Roy, a member of WSN, articulated the position of many of the organization’s members in a phone interview after the protest.

“Everybody in the group feels that the university isn’t a place for the army recruiting people. It’s supposed to be a place of educating, learning and debate. So we’re just trying to basically say, ‘you’re not welcome on this campus,’” Roy said.

Literature from the organization was labeled with messaging that asked, “considering joining the military?” It then detailed that those thinking of joining the military should consider that “civilians and ‘good guys’ are killed in war” before enlisting. It also cited the mental health issues that some soldiers face.

Campus Community Police Services Sergeant Jean-Claude Aubin says that each protest is viewed on a case-by-case basis.

“If there was a safety hazard or risk of injury, we would [eject protestors.] Generally, we won’t be asking protestors to leave,” Aubin said.

Not infringing on student’s free speech was a sentiment echoed by University Students’ Council president Matt Helfand.

“Protests certainly have a place on a university campus,” Helfand said. “From the USC’s perspective, we have to make sure we’re balancing the right to free speech and the right to express opinions with the fact that it’s still everyone’s space.”

Members of the WSN described an encounter with a female member of the USC who asked them to leave and if they did not comply, security would be called. However, security didn’t show up and WSN confirmed that they left the UCC atrium by their own volition at around 1:30 p.m.

The situation was relatively calm throughout the protest but Roy detailed an encounter with USC president Matt Helfand that he described as “aggressive.”

“I had recognized one of my classmates walking by – she’s an activist herself. I just tapped her with a flyer,” Roy said, and then noted Helfand approached him. “[He] told me that I’m ‘not allowed to do that. I can’t bother students like that.’”

Helfand later confirmed the interaction.

“There was an individual who was aggressively approaching students with literature and when there are students who are being aggressively solicited, that is a violation of our policy, so I asked him politely to refrain from doing it,” Helfand said.

Students evidently noticed the protest with many pausing and engaging with those around them about the merits of the display.

Fourth-year philosophy student Aaron Rendy offered his opinion on the protest, contrasting the military situation in Canada compared to other countries.

“In some countries you have to actually commit for two years where here no one forces,” he said. “So I think it’s somebody’s free will and autonomy if they decide that they want to inquire about doing service. And I don’t know why they would want to interrupt someone from making a choice.”

By 4 p.m., the chalk outlines from the protestors had been washed away by snowy footprints and steam cleaners but the WSN can hope their message sparked conversation for the 90 minutes of their “die in.”