Doug Ford says pro-Palestinian university encampments 'need to move'
Ontario's premier called for pro-Palestinian protest encampments to move off university campuses Monday even as one Toronto university suggested it was making progress in its talks with demonstrators.
Premier Doug Ford said he is "not in favour" of the encampments, which have cropped up on several campuses in recent weeks, adding he's getting messages from parents expressing concerns that their kids will be harassed or bullied because of them.
"They need to move. The university has to move these people along," Ford told reporters at the Ontario legislature.
The premier said some of what he's seen and heard about the protests is "unacceptable."
"I can't stand some of the nasty stuff I've been seeing out there," he said.
Ford's comments came as the University of Toronto said it sees "a way forward" after meeting with student protesters involved with an encampment on its campus.
Though the university initially gave protesters a deadline of 10 p.m. last Thursday to leave, administrators later said they wouldn't remove the encampment if its activities remained peaceful.
Sandy Welsh, the university's vice-provost of students, said in a statement Monday morning that members of the administration met with student representatives for the encampment over the weekend and the discussions "have been constructive."
The representatives and administrators are working together to address concerns about health and safety, as well as reports of threatening or hateful language, she said.
The encampment set up in an area known as King's College Circle last Thursday has seen protesters call on the university to disclose ties with the Israeli government and divest from Israeli companies.
Mohammad Yassin, a fourth-year student and one of the spokespeople for the demonstrators, said he was part of the group that met with administrators on the weekend.
The statement issued Monday was disheartening because it "perpetuates lies" about the demonstration, he said.
The administration's ongoing allegations that the protesters are not part of the university community or that they are engaging in hate speech are simply not true, Yassin said.
"During the second or third day of our camp, we had a Shabbat dinner that was organized by the Jewish faculty and community of our camp, while we were being accused of antisemitism," he said. "We shut down any forms of hatred, antisemitism, virulently. It's against our community guidelines, and we have processes to deal with people who promote this kind of hate."
The group went into the talks believing they would be discussing their demands soon, but instead the university has continued to focus on "trivial things" like the fence around the area and sanitation, he said.
"We are only going to talk about demands with the university going forward. ... It is not worth our time to be discussing fences when over 30,000 people in Gaza have been killed."
The International Court of Justice is investigating whether Israel has committed acts of genocide in the ongoing war in Gaza, with a ruling expected to take years. Israel has rejected allegations of wrongdoing and accused the court of bias.
Israel's campaign in Gaza was launched after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 men women and children hostage in October. The Israeli offensive has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials.
Pro-Palestinian activists have also set up tents at McGill University in Montreal, the University of Ottawa, McMaster University in Hamilton and the University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'We were vetted': Sex-ed organization 'disappointed' over Higgs' comments
The head of a Quebec-based sexual and reproductive health organization says she's disappointed New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has deemed presentations she did in the province last week inappropriate.
Grayson Murray's parents say the two-time PGA Tour winner died of suicide
Grayson Murray's parents said Sunday their 30-year-old son took his own life, just one day after he withdrew from a PGA Tour event.
The dreams of a 60-year-old beauty contestant come to an abrupt end in Argentina
A 60-year-old woman saw her dreams of becoming the oldest Miss Universe contestant in history melt away in a haze of sequins and selfies Saturday at Argentina’s annual beauty pageant.
2 died in plane crash near Squamish, B.C., police confirm
Two people died after a plane went down in a remote area near Squamish, B.C. on Friday, authorities have confirmed.
Kingston, Ont. tenants fed up with lack of action from landlord over broken floor tiles
Joel Felder and Misti Pitcher have been living in their apartment in Kingston, Ont. for over two years, but the past 12 months have been miserable.
Driver, 18, gets $3,000 ticket, 32 demerit points after speeding on Laval boulevard
A young driver received a hefty fine from Laval police after they say he was driving nearly 100 km/h over the posted speed limit.
Are you a loud snorer? You could have sleep apnea
You'll have a lot more energy throughout the day if you get a good night's sleep, but not everyone does due to a medical condition.
At least 15 dead after severe weather carves path of ruin across multiple U.S. states in the South
Powerful storms killed at least 15 people and left a wide trail of destruction Sunday across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas during the latest deadly weather to strike the central U.S.
North Korea informs Japan of a plan to launch military spy satellite
North Korea has told Japan it plans to launch a satellite by early next week, an apparent effort to put its second military spy satellite into orbit.