Dear UBC Graduate Students,

 

We recognize that many of you were disturbed by the presence of armed police in the GSS Loft on February 14, 2025. As your fellow graduate students, we are concerned about this too. We want to acknowledge these concerns and provide clarity on the situation.

 

The GSS was not informed or consulted in advance about this presence. After receiving reports from students who found the situation unsettling and bewildering, we immediately reached out to the AMS for clarification. We have since been told that the police were stationed on the Loft balcony for the Invictus Games at the UBC Aquatic Centre. The request for access was made through AMS Building Operations just one day before the event, and unfortunately, no communication was shared with us.

 

We understand that the unexpected presence of armed police in a student study and social space can be distressing. As your fellow graduate students dedicated to fostering a safe and welcoming environment, we are actively engaging with the AMS and campus authorities to ensure that, moving forward, the GSS is properly informed and consulted on any similar measures affecting our spaces. We also urge the university to be more communicative in the future and to respect our spaces, which are meant to be safe for students to socialize and study in. We believe that campuses should not be militarized, and that the presence of heavily armed personnel is, in most cases, excessive and does not meaningfully contribute to student safety. Additionally, we are deeply concerned about reports of heavy-handed actions taken against students speaking out against aggression and human rights violations both here and abroad. 

 

We thank all the students who reached out to us and informed us of the situation. Your vigilance in protecting student spaces and advocating for our community’s well-being is invaluable.

 

The GSS will continue advocating for greater transparency, consultation, and student-centered safety protocols while opposing unwarranted intrusions of armed groups into student spaces. If you have any comments or feedback, please feel free to reach out to us at president@gss.ubc.ca.

 

Thank you for voicing your concerns and for your ongoing engagement with the GSS.

 

In solidarity,

Graduate Student Society (GSS) Executive Team at UBC Vancouver