Pro-Palestinian protesters have dismantled their nearly two-month-old encampment at the University of Waterloo and the school says it is now ending legal action it had filed against the group.

The university had launched a lawsuit against the participants of the encampment that was set up on May 13, alleging the demonstration had harmed the school’s reputation and damaged its property.

A student-led group representing the protesters says they decided to “voluntarily decamp” on Sunday night in what they call a strategic decision.

The group says it will now target investments and partnerships the university has with Israel, which it says were disclosed as a result of the encampment protest.

University president Vivek Goel says the encampment was peacefully dismantled and the school is now withdrawing its lawsuit and injunction proceedings related to the protest.

Goel says it has been a “difficult and divisive time” and the university is examining opportunities for engagement that will bring its community together to tackle complex challenges.

The university’s lawsuit had named several individual protesters it said had identified themselves as representatives of the encampment, as well as unidentified people involved in the demonstration. It was also seeking an order to dismantle the encampment and allow police to arrest and remove people who refuse to leave.

Protesters had denounced the lawsuit on social media, calling it an attempt to intimidate students with the possibility of hefty fines they could not afford.

They also claimed in the online statement on the encampment being dismantled that those named in the lawsuit were harassed while the legal action “emboldened agitators.”

The university’s president wrote in his Monday statement that he hopes the coming weeks will see the school and students “work together to bring healing and peace to our community.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2024.