U of T encampment organizers deciding next step after school’s offer to protesters
Written by The Canadian Press on May 24, 2024
TORONTO — The organizers of a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Toronto say they are still deciding their next steps after the school gave them 24 hours to consider an offer to end the demonstration, or face a trespass notice.
Students speaking on behalf of the encampment say they are appalled by the university’s approach, calling the offer inadequate and an ultimatum.
The university’s offer, announced Thursday, includes inviting students to present their demands to U of T’s business board of governing council at a June 19 meeting, and forming a working group to consider options for the disclosure of the school’s investments.
But the university said it will not end any partnerships with Israeli universities as protesters have demanded.
University president Meric Gertler said the encampment at the downtown Toronto campus must end and a trespass notice will be issued if an agreement is not reached.
The encampment was set up on May 2 to call on the university to cut its ties with Israel over the ongoing war in Gaza, divest from Israeli companies and terminate partnerships with Israeli academic institutions that operate under parameters the students opposed.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 24, 2024.
The Canadian Press