Pro-Palestine encampment protesters at the University of Toronto say they’re not budging after receiving a 24-hour deadline to respond to the schools offer.
U of T President Meric Gertler released a statement yesterday near 4 p.m. giving members of the Occupy for Palestine (O4P) group a one-day deadline to clear the encampment at St. George campus and accept the university’s latest offer.
On Friday around 3:15 p.m., members of O4P posted on X that they aren’t going anywhere with a profane message directed at Gertler over a photo of the offer.
The university’s statement comes more than three weeks after students set up tents in the once-gated King’s College Circle in protest, calling on the university to divest funds and investments from companies that supply the Israeli military.
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“For the past three weeks, we have demonstrated tremendous patience while a shared-use space on our campus has been taken over by the encampment to the exclusion of others,” Gertler said in the statement. “The fundamental principle of inclusion – one that extends to physical spaces on our campuses – has been violated.”
In the offer, Gertler says the university will establish an advisory committee to review the divestment request, where “qualified” student representatives from O4P will have the opportunity to make recommendations to the president. These recommendations, after further discussions with experts and other members of the university community, would then be addressed by the end of October. Student representatives would also be invited to the Business Board of Governing Council on June 19 to present their demands.
Gertler also stated that the university “will not terminate any partnerships with Israeli universities or attempt to curtail scholars’ academic freedom in any way” because “these actions would be at odds with our commitment to academic freedom.”
Gertler said the offer is conditional on the encampment clearing and not resuming at any of the university’s campuses. Participants must also refrain from disrupting convocation activities.
Several Canadian universities have had pro-Palestine encampments demanding the schools to cut ties with Israel, but Ontario Tech University is the first and only major educational institution in Canada to reach an agreement with student protesters earlier this week.
A press conference was held by U of T yesterday subsequent to the statement being released, where Gertler noted that “many members of the community feel distress by the presence of the encampment” and that the institution would issue a notice of trespass and pursue all legal options if necessary should O4P reject the offer, according to The Varsity, U of T’s student newspaper.
“Recent events on campus have caused our community to feel unsafe and unwelcome on a campus that we have just as every right to as everyone else,” an unidentified Jewish student said to the media yesterday, according to CP24. He also claims to have been affected by protesters blocking access to buildings and other campus grounds.
Another unidentified student says not only are the protests not peaceful, but “it’s a violation of university policies and it’s a threat to our safety.” He says that he’s witnessed hateful messages, blocked exits, and fires.
An O4P organizer said the university’s offer is not in good faith and claimed that Gertler’s press conference was held in another building on campus in the middle of an O4P meeting with the administration for negotiations.
“Why are we meeting with the administration when there is already a predetermined outcome on their end,” the unidentified O4P spokesperson asked.
The spokesperson also claimed that Gertler has yet to meet with the organization face-to face.
“This is not an offer. This is an ultimatum.”
Another O4P spokesperson, Mohammed Yassin, spoke yesterday outside of the encampment.
“This administration claims that they want to have this encampment come to a peaceful resolution, yet they attempt to blindside us at every turn,” he said.
Yassin also claims the administration had told student protesters that they would not be calling the police, yet are threatening to issue a trespass notice, which he says “lays the groundwork for a violent clearing.”
“Unlike the administration, we are committed to a peaceful resolution, and we are working on a response,” Yassin said.
