Yellowed grass was revealed on the lawn of King’s College Circle after tents were removed at the pro-Palestinian encampment at University of Toronto on July 3.Melissa Tait/The Globe and Mail
A pro-Palestinian protest that occupied the centre of the University of Toronto campus for two months and drew attention to the plight of Palestinians in Gaza came to a peaceful end ahead of a court-imposed deadline to leave Wednesday, as students dismantled their tents and filed out of King’s College Circle.
Some wept, some embraced, some expressed frustration at having to change direction, but the protest leaders vowed to carry on their campaign by different means.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Markus Koehnen granted an injunction this week that authorized police to clear the protest site by 6 p.m. Wednesday. A few hours before, however, the once-bustling encampment was already barren and abandoned.
Students and supporters from labour unions and the university faculty held a rally as several hundred gathered outside the university administration building in the last hours before the order was to take effect.
Sara Rasikh, a graduate student and encampment organizer, said the encampment had achieved a great deal in making its demands the focus of discussion for weeks. She said it was no longer a question of whether the University of Toronto will divest, but when.
“We are just getting started,” Ms. Rasikh said. “The encampment is one tactic among many. This fight will continue.”
Protesters take down and clean up the encampment at the University of Toronto. The encampment that was set up in May was ordered to clear out by 6 p.m. on July 3.Yader Guzman/The Globe and Mail
The protesters have been seeking three things: that the university disclose where its money is invested; that it divests from weapons manufacturers connected to the Israeli military and that sustain what they describe as Israeli apartheid; and that it breaks ties with Israeli universities that operate in the occupied territories.
None of those goals has been attained yet, but the protesters, buoyed by a cheering crowd, said that it would only be a matter of time.
Mohammad Yassin, a recent graduate and protest organizer, said the encampment had come to symbolize something larger, calling it a beacon of principled resistance. He said the encampment’s ability to hold its position through several weeks of convocation ceremonies was a victory.
“The encampment may be leaving this physical space but our fight will continue,” he said. “U of T will one day reflect that it stands on the wrong side of history.”
Protestors paint a statue of an olive tree inside the protest camp at the University of Toronto.Yader Guzman/The Globe and Mail
In its submissions to the court, the university had argued that its campus is private property and that protesters infringed on the rights of others to use Front Campus. The protesters countered that they have a right to protest and that a university campus should not be viewed simply as private property but as a space where debate can occur. The judge, in granting an injunction, sided with the university’s right to determine how its property is used.
The judge’s ruling authorized police to arrest and remove anyone believed to be contravening the order after 6 p.m. Wednesday, but by the time the deadline arrived not one person or tent remained. The protesters left a message painted on the grass that said: “We will return.”
Protestors and students remove tents and belongings from the pro-Palestinian encampment.Melissa Tait/The Globe and Mail
University of Toronto president Meric Gertler issued a statement shortly after 6 p.m. acknowledging that protesters had left the camp.
“I am pleased that the protesters have ended the encampment peacefully so that Front Campus can be restored and returned to the entire community. Members of our community continue to be free to exercise their right to free speech and lawful protest,” Dr. Gertler said.
Mr. Yassin said negotiations with the university on protest demands remain at an impasse. He declined to say what form the protests could take in the days and weeks ahead.
Erin Mackey, a recent graduate and encampment organizer, wept as the press conference ended. She said she was overwhelmed by the emotions of the day as she reflected on the two months spent in the encampment. The protests built a community, she said, and its fight continues.
“Students will continue to show up day in, day out, until U of T divests,” Ms. Mackey said.
The end of the encampment at U of T was being watched at other campuses. At McGill, where a protest has been going on for more than two months, the Montreal university is still awaiting a court date to have its case for an interlocutory injunction against the encampment heard.
Protestors left a 'We will return' message on the court injunction order taped to the sign at the pro-Palestinian encampment at University of Toronto.Melissa Tait/The Globe and Mail
McGill said through its media relations department that although it has taken note of the U of T decision, it does not change its approach. McGill is seeking to bring an end to what it describes as an indefinite and illegal encampments on its property.
University of British Columbia, where an encampment has continued for more than two months, said it had no updates to share.
The peaceful end to the protest stands in contrast to a handful of cases in Canada where police were brought in to clear encampments. In May, encampments at the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary were cleared by police wielding batons. An encampment at York University was also cleared by Toronto police in early June shortly after the university issued a trespass notice.
Toronto police said Wednesday they would enforce the court order issued in the U of T case, but said the 6 p.m. deadline was for protesters, not for police action. In a social-media statement, police had asked protesters to leave peacefully.
Pro-Palestinian protesters began to dismantle tents and remove supplies the day after a judge decided they must vacate the space at Kings College Circle at the University of Toronto campus by 6 p.m. on July 3.
The Canadian Press
Joe Friesen