Students participating in a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Toronto say the school has not addressed their concerns regarding hateful remarks they’re receiving amid their protest.
The protesters are entering their sixth day of demonstrations calling for the university to divest its funding and investments from Israel, amid its war against Hamas in Gaza. The group launched its protest on May 2 and has since set up camp at King’s College Circle.
The war in Gaza began after Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel, killing over 1,200 people and abducting approximately 250 people. So far, the Israeli offensive has killed over 34,000 Palestinians according to Gaza health officials.
READ MORE: Toronto police says it won’t patrol pro-Palestine protest at UofT unless asked to do so
A U of T student organizer, who wished to remain anonymous, says it wants the university to meet three demands.
“One, we want them to disclose all of the financial holdings that they have or manage, that is complete financial transparency. Two, to divest any funds that they have in companies which contribute directly to the occupation, apartheid of Palestine, and the genocide in Gaza,” he said to Now Toronto on Monday.
“And three, that they cut all ties with Israeli academic institutions, which either operate physically on the occupied Palestinian territories or otherwise contribute to the maintenance of the occupation,” he continued.
Since the demonstration began last Thursday, it has more than doubled its size in supporters. According to the student organizer, they started with 40 tents and as of Monday had over 100 tents with nearly 200 campers.
In addition, as of publication, more than 2,800 people have signed an open letter, which was created on Apr. 3, in support of the demands of student encampment protesters. More than 1,950 signatories are members of U of T, while more than 840 signatures are from supporting community members.
Meanwhile, both U of T members and non-student groups opposing the pro-Palestine protesters’ demands have held demonstrations at the school, including last Saturday when a group of counter protesters came to the campus waving Canadian and Israeli flags.
On Wednesday, there will be a Rally Against Hate at the school, which organizers say will be a peaceful demonstration in solidarity with Jewish students and staff at 6:30 p.m. It is organized by Hillel Ontario, StandWithUs Canada, Allied Voices for Israel, United Against Antisemitism, Alpha Epsilon-Pi (AEPi), and the Jewish Medical Students Association. The groups are urging university leaders to “make meaningful action against the encampments.”
“This includes enforcing campus rules, keeping off-campus extremists off campus, and protecting Jewish students from hate,” organizers wrote online.
U OF T FACULTY MEMBERS SHOW SOLIDARITY
Some U of T faculty members have also joined the pro-Palestinian demonstration in solidarity. U of T Assistant Professor at the Department of Historical and Cultural Studies Robyn Maynard says she’s been supporting the protest since day one.
“For me, it felt very important as a faculty to come here in support in that way to bear witness. But it was also really important for me to come to support because I think that it’s really important for all of us to support the demands,” she told Now Toronto.
Maynard referred to a case more than 35 years ago when U of T students pressured the university to divest from South Africa, to which they complied and withdrew all endowment fund investments from the country in 1988 and pension fund investments in 1990, according to the Global Nonviolent Action Database.
“I think that their demands are winnable. I think their demands are morally incredibly powerful, and that they’re taking enormous risks, young people who pay tuition, taking enormous risks in terms of disciplinary measures, but they’re doing so for a belief that they should be fighting for a just world and I’m happy to support them as they do that,” she said.
U OF T MEETS WITH STUDENTS ABOUT SAFETY CONCERNS
After the encampment was set up, the university said it was limiting the use of a large shared-use space at the campus and poses health and safety risks, according to the university’s online community updates page, which has been updated frequently since the encampment was erected.
The university adds that it had asked for it to be dismantled but said it is not “seeking to limit students’ rights to protest.”
Over the weekend, the university’s Vice-Provost of Students Professor Sandy Welsh said the administration met with student representatives to address its concerns over health and safety and hateful language surrounding the demonstration.
“Our goal remains the same: to find a peaceful conclusion to the unauthorized encampment as soon as possible, without the risk of violent confrontation or physical injury,” the university said in a statement on Monday.
“Our discussions have been constructive, and we see a way forward,” it added.
As a result, the university modified and improved the fencing around King’s College Circle to enhance safety.
Despite talks about their concerns, the student organizer says there has not been progress from the university when it comes to meeting their demands.
“We’ve engaged in dialogue with them over logistical issues but what we have reminded them and need them to recognize is that we are not here to talk about fencing or portable toilets.
We’re not here protesting for the sake of protesting. We’re here because we have demands and we want the complicity of this institution to end,” he said.
“And we want these conversations to move towards addressing our concrete substantive demands. And unfortunately, so far the administration has been unwilling to do that, we really hope that changes,” he continued.
CONCERNS ABOUT HATEFUL REMARKS TOWARDS PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS
Furthermore, the organizer claims that the group has recently been experiencing death threats and hate speech by an external group, to which he says the university has not addressed.
He says the group has made Islamophobic, anti-Indigenous, anti-Black racist comments and attacks toward the protesters at night. Some have allegedly attempted to jump over the fence guarding the area.
“…The university simply has not said anything about that. It has not issued any condemnation of the many videos there are of people over here expressing hate speech and attacking students,” he said.
“And so, it’s really important that people know that we are here facing threats not only from the administration and the police, but also from agitators and violent members of terrorist groups who are coming to threaten us and the university simply does not seem to care,” he continued.
U of T says it is aware of incidents executed by protest participants or their supporters and says that Toronto police are investigating.
“There have been several incidents of particular concern, including reported assaults and hate speech. It is not clear how many of these involve individuals inside the encampment or members of the public. We have forwarded four reports to Project Resolute, a Toronto Police Service initiative to fight antisemitism and Islamophobia, for further investigation,” the university said in a statement.
The university added that any updates it has will be available on its website.
TORONTO POLICE INVESTIGATING THREE INCIDENTS
On Wednesday, Toronto police confirmed to Now Toronto that the TPS Hate Crime Unit is investigating three encampment-related incidents that occurred over the weekend.
On May 4, police say two men went to King’s College Circle to counter-protest around 4 p.m. People from the student encampment yelled at the men, according to police. Afterwards, police said they were assaulted and had their flags and scarves confiscated, before being escorted out of the area.
Later that same evening, a group of people got into an argument with other people from the encampment around 10:20 p.m. While walking, one person from the group was assaulted from behind, had their hair pulled and was punched, police said.
Lastly, on May 5, police said a man entered the encampment around 12:30 p.m. but was later surrounded by several people who assaulted him and prevented him from leaving the area.
Police said in all three incidents, the U of T Special Constables were contacted.
FORD SAYS PRO-PALESTINIAN ENCAMPMENTS SHOULD BE REMOVED
Meanwhile, on Monday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford revealed he is not in favour of the pro-Palestinian encampments set up on university campuses across the country.
When asked about it from reporters, Ford said some of what he’s seen and heard about the protests is “unacceptable,” and universities need to “move them on.”
In addition to the University of Toronto, pro-Palestinian students have organized encampments at McMaster University, McGill University, the University of British Columbia and the University of Ottawa.
Editor’s Note: This story previously stated an incorrect number of signatories on the open letter, but has since been corrected.
