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Pro-Palestinian protestors at U of T continue unless demands met

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Hamilton, Halton, Niagara and area news from CHCH - Hamilton, Halton, and Niagara news..

Pro-Palestinian protests are continuing at schools nationwide, and at the University of Toronto, demonstrators show no signs of letting up.

Protestors say they are settling in and staying for the long haul.

That’s despite warnings from the university administration of legal repercussions if protests threaten the safety of students.

On Saturday, supplies and food were trickling into the pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Toronto.

And the protestors have tents full of water and necessities.

READ MORE: Pro-Palestine encampment remains at University of Toronto despite safety concerns 

“We’re committed to staying here indefinitely. We’re not budging until President Gertler and his administration meet our demands to the word,” said fourth-year student Kalliope McCall.

They are urging the university to disclose all financial holdings, divest from investments that support what they call apartheid, and terminate partnerships with Israeli universities.

There are at least 120 tents here at King’s College Circle on the University of Toronto’s campus.

On Friday the university leadership wrote to demonstrators saying the school has received reports of concerning language that could be described as discriminatory, threatening, or hateful. They are warning protestors they could be charged with trespass or destruction of property.

It has been 8 days since the first protestors pitched camp at Montreal’s McGill campus.

Since then the movement has grown to three post-secondary institutions in Ontario and three in British Columbia.

The head of Hamilton’s Jewish Federation, Gustavo Rymberg, says he’s worried for the safety of Jewish students if demonstrations expand to schools in our region.

“I think they don’t feel protected but they feel isolated. It’s all this effort to accommodate something that it’s no doubt antisemitic,” says Rymberg.

But in Toronto, Jewish protestors say the encampment has been a safe space.

“We’re hearing from many Jewish people in parts of the Jewish community that they feel that they’re unsafe here or even the existence of the camp makes them feel unsafe, but I don’t think that many of those people have actually been here,” said Deb Cowan

CHCH reached out to both Brock and McMaster about how they intend to respond if encampments pop up.

We only heard back from a McMaster spokesperson who said the school is watching the situation unfold with deep concern and they hope to continue working closely with student organizers to ensure peaceful protests.

READ MORE: Pro-Palestinian protests grow across Canadian universities

The post Pro-Palestinian protestors at U of T continue unless demands met appeared first on CHCH.


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