The University of Toronto has put up new fencing along part of its downtown campus and is warning students that encampments on its grounds will not be tolerated following protests in the US and in Canada demanding educational institutions divest from companies with military ties to Israel.
A letter that was sent to students by the university’s vice-provost Sandy Welsh on Sunday stated that while the school is committed to free speech and lawful and peaceful protests, it will not tolerate “unauthorized activities” and students violating its policies will face “consequences.” .”
The school’s response comes after students set up encampments on the McGill University campus in Montreal this past weekend, calling for the university to divest from companies with ties to Israel. McGill has said the camp violates both school policies and the law.
An hours-long sit-in was also held at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) on Tuesday resulting in the institution limiting access to campus buildings until further notice “due to safety concerns.”
“Any activities by community members or others that pose a risk to the university campus or its members will not be tolerated,” the university said in a written statement. It went on to say that protest are a “routine part of university life,” noting that there has been no impact on programming, classes, or events.
Police, meanwhile, said they’re aware of the sit-in and are on scene.
At this point, it is not clear if an occupation has been planned for the University of Toronto.
“U of T’s lands and buildings are private property, although the university allows wide public access to them for authorized activities,” Welsh said in the letter. “Unauthorized activities such as encampments or the occupation of university buildings are considered trespassing.”
The protests at the University of Toronto and across North America are in direct response to the mass killing and human rights violations of civilians since Israel’s war on Gaza began late last year. The students are calling on their institutions to divest from companies that are linked to international law violations.
The UofT Occupy for Palestine group has stated on social media that it is demanding that the university divest its endowment and pension plan from companies providing military goods or services to the Israeli government. The groups say it is also asking the school to publicly disclose the names of all companies that it invests in.
The students say they are following similar protest methods that successfully pressured universities in North America to divest from a number of major companies that operated in apartheid South Africa, and are hoping the same will happen amid the war on Gaza.
An online open letter to the university signed by nearly 2,000 alumni, staff and faculty members has also echoed the groups’ concerns.
“We unequivocally condemn the university’s suppression of the students’ freedom of speech and utter disregard for their well-being,” the open letter states. “We urge the leadership of the University of Toronto to promptly and publicly address the student demands, including divesting the university’s financial holdings from companies that sustain Israeli apartheid.”
The University of Toronto, meanwhile, has confirmed that fencing went up around King’s College Circle on Saturday restricting access to the large lawn at the center of the downtown campus. Signs were also posted saying that the grounds are temporarily closed for “protection due to concern about unauthorized activity,” a spokesperson said.
“Any student involved in unauthorized activities or conduct that contravenes university policies or the law may be subject to consequences. “We ask that you engage productively with one another to fulfill our mutual obligation to provide a welcoming and safe community in which all members can express themselves,” the letter from Welsh notes.
On Monday, Columbia University also escalated its stance against an encampment on its New York campus by ordering students to leave in the afternoon or face suspension.
Students have dug in at tent encampments at several high-profile American universities, with standoffs continuing between protesters and administrators at Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, Yale and others.
With files from the Canadian Press
