Demonstrators have called on the University of Toronto to disclose its investments and divest from companies connected to the Israeli military, and for the university cut ties with Israeli academic institutions that operate in the occupied territories.Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press
University of Toronto president Meric Gertler has given student protesters a 24-hour deadline to consider a proposal to end their pro-Palestinian encampment, which has been in place since May 2.
Demonstrators have called on the university to disclose its investments and divest from companies connected to the Israeli military. They’ve also demanded that the university cut ties with Israeli academic institutions that operate in the occupied territories.
The university’s offer would allow student representatives to present their divestment demand to the business board of the university’s governing council on June 19. The university said it would expedite a review of the divestment request, which would still have to clear several hurdles in the university’s governance structure.
The university has also offered to create an expert working group that would consider options for greater transparency in university investments. It rejected the student demand to cut ties with Israeli universities, saying it would be at odds with its commitment to academic freedom and the furtherance of understanding through dialogue. It did offer to expand opportunities for Palestinian scholars.
In exchange for those concessions, the students would have to agree to end the encampment immediately, not to resume it on any U of T campus and commit to not disrupting convocation ceremonies.
The university’s offer was presented in a meeting with student protest leaders Thursday afternoon.
The U of T protest encampment is one of several on Canadian campuses, part of a broader movement that has spread across the continent, sparking debates about free speech and assembly and how universities should respond.
“It’s time to bring this encampment to an end,” Dr. Gertler said. “The students have been given 24 hours to consider this offer.”
The university said if the deal is rejected, it will issue a notice of trespass and pursue its legal options. Asked if that included calling in the police, Dr. Gertler said he was not eliminating any options.
“We are hopeful that the people inside the encampment will abide by the law, including our trespass order,” he said.
Dr. Gertler said the administration has taken a patient approach and sought a negotiated solution. But the protesters have taken up part of campus for their exclusive use and some members of the community are distressed by the encampment and feel unsafe, Dr. Gertler said. He said approximately six incidents had been reported to Toronto police since the encampment began.
“After hearing these complaints from our community, after recognizing how long the use of this space has been denied to other members of our community, we felt now is the time to act,” he said.
The protesters have said previously that they won’t leave until their demands are met in full.
Speaking on behalf of the encampment, Mohammad Yassin, a fourth-year student, said the administration had blindsided the students with its deadline and was laying the groundwork to clear the encampment violently.
“Despite our willingness to negotiate, the U of T administration has consistently abused our trust,” Mr. Yassin said. “Unlike the administration, we are committed to a peaceful resolution.”
There are between 120 and 150 people staying overnight in the encampment, according to organizers.
Elsewhere, police forcefully removed protesters at the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary earlier this month. Administrators at McGill University have asked for police assistance with an encampment on its campus, but it remains in place. McGill was in Quebec Superior Court earlier this month arguing for an injunction that would require police to clear the protesters but the application was turned down.
Student protesters said they were told by U of T administrators at a May 12 meeting that they don’t want to see the encampment cleared by police.
Tensions connected to the war in Gaza continue to ripple through universities across the country.
At the University of Manitoba last week, the medical school valedictorian’s speech drew condemnation from a donor whose family name is attached to the college of medicine.
Ernest Rady said in a letter to the university administration that he was hurt by the remarks made by valedictorian Gem Newman. In his speech, Dr. Newman described Israel as waging a genocidal war and targeting hospitals in Gaza. He called for an immediate ceasefire.
Dr. Peter Nickerson, dean of the Rady College of Medicine, said the remarks were “divisive and inflammatory” and contrary to the purpose of a valedictory speech. In a statement posted to social media, Dr. Newman defended his remarks.
The University of Toronto has pursued divestment in the past after student protests over fossil fuels and over apartheid in South Africa. Dr. Gertler said Thursday that considering divestment would take time, as it would require analysis and consultation within the university community.
The students’ divestment demands have focused mainly on weapons manufacturers that do business with the Israeli military or financial institutions invested in those arms manufacturers, as well as on companies connected to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
Dr. Gertler said the university endowment does not hold direct investments in any companies.