The continuing wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus and aggressive attempts to counter it
Continuing Solidarity
As members of the encampment marched out of King’s College Circle following the court order granting an injunction on July 3, they left a determined promise. Painted on the grounds they occupied for 63 days, the words read “We will return.” This past month, in the afternoon of September 6, pro-Palestinian student protestors fulfilled their promise as similar chants echoed around King’s College Circle once again. Later that afternoon, the rally marched to 777 Bay Street where the UofT Asset Management Corporation (UTAM), UofT’s investment manager, resides.
Similar protests had been held a month prior. On August 8, UofT students held a sit-in at the UTAM offices. Demonstrators sat next to the elevators on the ground floor, held plaque cards, and chanted pro-Palestinian slogans. The protestors were given a trespass notice and forced to vacate the property by the Toronto Police Service.
Unlike what happened on August 8, this time, student demonstrators were prevented from entering the building’s premises by a wall of Toronto police officers. Attempts at entering the building were met with forceful removal by the police. Chaos and anger towards the police officers grew as they physically pushed back against the crowd of demonstrators and used pepper spray in an attempt to disperse them.
The UTAM has become an increasing focal point for protests as it plays a significant role in the protestors’ demands to disclose and divest. In a review written in May, a coalition of UofT students, staff, and faculty sought to “identify investments that violate the true meaning of responsible.” Here, “responsible” alludes to UofT’s ethical responsibility to “incorporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in its investment decisions.” The report cites its findings from data provided by the American Friends Service Committee and the American U.S Securities and Exchange Commission. The document reports that at least 17 investment managers used by UTAM are cumulatively connected to at least 55 companies in the military-affiliated sector. The report further claims that such companies supply the Israeli military forces responsible for the ongoing murder of Palestinians.
As a result of the report’s findings of UofT’s indirect role in the Palestinian genocide, UofT pro-Palestinian groups have been primarily pressuring for the “transparency of [UofT’s] holdings” and for UofT to “divest from external investment managers who refuse to […] comply with ESG commitments.”
The UofT administration has largely rejected these findings and demands. In a statement to The Globe and Mail, UofT’s Chief Financial Officer Trevor Rodgers argued that known holdings by investment managers cannot be publicly disclosed due to public disclosure restrictions in their contract. Rodgers further claims that the amendment of disclosure restrictions would risk accessing the “best in-class investments and firms.” From an analogous perspective, UofT President Gertler refused to concede to many demands made by UofT pro-Palestinian coalitions.
In a statement made by President Gertler on May 23, he offered the creation of an “advisory committee” to produce a “review of the divestment request” which would be considered by the president in his “decision on next steps.” Similarly, he proposed an “expert working group to consider options for disclosure.” However, the offer “refused to terminate any partnerships with Israeli universities.” Occupy UofT, a pro-Palestinian group negotiating with the UofT administration, held their demands as non-negotiable and rejected the proposal. No further public developments in negotiations have been made since.
Pushback: Violence and Censorship
Violence
The continuing demonstrations have recently experienced belligerent responses from far-right counter-protests. During protests on September 8 at King’s Circle, counter-protestors, many associated with the Jewish Defence League (JDL), chanted Islamaphobic and anti-Arab racist slurs at pro-Palestinian demonstrators. Among the counter-protestors were Ron Banerjee and Meir Weinstein.
The JDL is a far-right pressure group whose American wing has been labelled as a terrorist organisation by the FBI since 2001. The Canadian chapter has a history of inciting physical violence and Islamophobia. The group was formally rebranded into Israel Now following an assault on protestors during a pro-Palestinian demonstration in 2021. Meir Weinstein, the leader of Israel Now, has made numerous racist anti-Arab and Islamophobic remarks and has connections to the English Defence League, a far-right Islamophobic organisation in the UK with a notable track record of violence. Similarly, Ron Banerjee is a prominent figure in Canadian far-right groups. He actively incites violence against Muslims and Sikhs and is affiliated with neo-Nazi groups.
The presence of such groups on campus prompted a response from the Muslim Students Association (MSA). In a press conference on September 12, MSA president Mohammad Yaseen spoke on behalf of MSA executives about the alarming rise of Islamophobia on campus, citing the incident of non-UofT bigoted counter-protestors as a recent example. Yaseen claimed that the UofT administration is “aware of their [right-wing agitators’] presence on campus” and has done “nothing” to combat them. Furthermore, Yaseen accused the university of “welcoming but not condemning” Islamaphobic groups and “promoting ultra-nationalism that fuels hatred.” The administration has yet to publicly respond to these concerns.
Censorship
In an attempt to define guidelines for ongoing and future protests, the UofT administration amended its “Policies on Protests” guide last month. The guide claims that it derives much of its rulings from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice’s court orders and UofT policies. The guide introduces explicit limitations to prevent future encampments under the topics of “unauthorised presence,” “time of protests,” and “structures.” The policies sternly limit freedom of expression by prohibiting and categorising “affixing signs, posters, or flyers outside designated areas” as a “form of vandalism.” Additionally, the policies limit loud sounds and speeches during demonstrations to the vague boundaries of “obstructing UofT activities,” “negatively impacting those on UofT residences,” and “prevent[ing] the speech of invited guests, university members, and others.”
In a statement responding to these restrictions, 32 UofT affiliated groups characterised them as “sweeping and repressive regulations.” The statement holds that the new regulations render protests “unheard, unseen, and unfelt by the halls of power at University.” Signatories describe their reactions as “outraged, appalled, and disgusted.” Despite these restrictions, UofT pro-Palestinian coalitions hold that they will “continue to loudly criticise the University” in their stance towards Palestine and free speech.
