Police arrested two individuals on Tuesday at the University of Victoria following physical altercations that broke out between demonstrators and members of the OneBC political party. The group attempted to proceed with an unsanctioned campus event focused on what it terms the "reconciliation industry," despite an explicit ban from the university administration.
Confrontation Erupts Over Banned Event
The planned event was to be hosted by OneBC Leader Dallas Brodie, alongside Jim McMurtry and Frances Widdowson. The speakers have publicly questioned the 2021 announcement by the Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation regarding the discovery of more than 200 suspected unmarked graves at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. UVic had informed the trio that the gathering was not permitted because it did not follow the appropriate booking process and there was insufficient time for safety planning.
Despite the ban, the OneBC contingent arrived on campus. They were met by a large crowd of approximately 900 people, many wearing orange shirts and carrying signs in solidarity with residential school survivors. The counter-gathering, organized by Indigenous faculty and staff, featured speeches from Steve Sxwithul’txw, a survivor of the Kuper Island residential school, and Ry Moran, a UVic librarian and former director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
Scuffles and Smoke Bombs Mark Tense Standoff
As members of the OneBC group neared the library, a segment of the protesters, some masked, broke away to confront them directly. The demonstrators successfully prevented the group from entering the university quad area. Tensions escalated when orange-coloured smoke bombs were thrown near the OneBC members, who were at the time speaking with a videographer.
Saanich Police and campus security worked to keep the two factions separated, but pushing and shoving led to physical scuffles. During the chaos, police escorted scheduled speaker Jim McMurtry away from the protesters and into a waiting police van parked near the university bookstore. He was driven away as roughly 200 protesters cheered and drummed.
Arrests and Broader Concerns
Police confirmed two arrests but did not release names. However, Tim Thielmann, chief of staff for the OneBC caucus, stated that Frances Widdowson was one of those detained. It remains unclear if party leader Dallas Brodie was present at the event.
The incident has drawn significant concern from Indigenous leadership. The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs had previously expressed deep worry that the unsanctioned event would promote residential school denialism and inflict further harm on survivors and their communities. The clash underscores the highly sensitive and ongoing national dialogue surrounding truth, reconciliation, and the legacy of the residential school system in Canada.
