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The organizers of a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Toronto say they are still deciding their next steps after the school gave them 24 hours to consider an offer to end the demonstration, or face a trespass notice.
Students speaking on behalf of the encampment say they are appalled by the university’s approach, calling the offer inadequate and an ultimatum.
“Ultimately, we view this as the first offer,” Erin Mackey, one of the protest organizers, told a news conference Friday. “There’s much more room for the university to go.”
The encampment was set up on May 2 to call on the university to cut its ties with Israel over the ongoing conflict in Gaza, divest from Israeli companies and terminate partnerships with Israeli academic institutions that operate under parameters the students opposed.
The university’s offer, announced Thursday, includes inviting students to present their demands to U of T’s business board of governing council at a June 19 meeting, and forming a working group to consider options for the disclosure of the school’s investments.
The university said it will not end any partnerships with Israeli universities.
University president Meric Gertler said Thursday that the encampment at the downtown Toronto campus must end and a trespass notice will be issued if an agreement is not reached by late Friday afternoon.
But protesters say the university’s offer is lacking meaningful action and does not meet their demands.
“We will continue to demand divestment,” Mackey said, adding that the written offer is no different from what university officials extended to the students in their previous discussions. She also said encampment representatives received the offer as it was being publicly announced.
“Negotiations cannot begin until there’s an actual offer,” Mackey said. “We are still trying to figure out what our next steps are … U of T did not give us the kindness to provide that offer to us ahead of time.”
Mackey said the students want “upfront commitments” on divestments and disclosure, not “vague committees” to study the matter.
Asked Thursday if police would be called to clear the encampment if students refuse to leave, Gertler said the school is “not eliminating any options.”
Mackey said any “escalation” at the encampment site would be at the direction of university officials.
© 2024 The Canadian Press