Breaking the Law on Canadian University Campuses

"I am writing to remind you of the University of Toronto's commitment to free expression and lawful and peaceful protest, as well as the necessary limits that accompany those freedoms."

"[Students are allowed to] engage in peaceful assemblies and demonstrations [however anti-Israel protests such as tent encampments do not fall under the protections scope of university policy]."

"Any student involved in unauthorized activities or conduct that contravenes University policies or the law may be subject to consequences."

 Sandy Welsh, vice-provost, students, University of Toronto

 

"We understand that some in our community want to protest the violence and war they see unfolding. These actions must always be taken with respect for others and within the boundaries of university policy and the law."

"We also remind everyone that hate and intolerance have no place at UBC. The university must be a place of reasoned debate where conflicting views can peacefully coexist."

Matthew Ramsey, acting senior director, media relations, University of British Columbia 

"[McGill has seen video evidence of] some people using unequivocally antisemitic language and intimidating behaviour, which is absolutely unacceptable on our campuses."

"We condemn this in the strongest possible terms and will act quickly to investigate."

"The number of individuals who have set up tents on campus has tripled since Saturday. We have become aware that many of them, if not the majority, are not members of the McGill community. [While we support] the rights of our campus community to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly [we do so] with the understanding that these must be exercised within the bounds of McGill's policies as well as the law."

"We have been clear that these encampments violate both."

Fabrice Labeau, deputy provost, student life and learning, McGill University

By Monday morning, the group of people gathered on McGill campus had grown. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press)

"[While welcome to protest, student] encampments and occupations will not be tolerated."

"We have forcefully and repeatedly affirmed that no incitement to violence or incidents of harassment or hate, including Islamophobia and Antisemitism, will be tolerated on our campuses."

Eric Bercier, associate vice-president of student affairs, University of Ottawa

University administrators have suddenly become aware that their august institutions have become hotbeds of antisemitism, even though that ancient curse on the Jews has been manifesting its presence for months, in the wake of the October 7 atrocities committed by Palestinian terrorist groups in Israel and the predictable Israel Defense Forces response by invading Gaza for the purpose of annihilating the Hamas government's terrorist infrastructure and eliminating its terrorist operatives. Even before October 7, for years antisemitism on Canadian campuses have slithered out of the woodworks, a reflection of Canadian universities' courting of foreign students and the influx of immigration from North Africa and the Middle East.

Some of the current responses from the universities in the face of swelling, blatant and vicious antisemitic intimidation of Jewish students, along with the condemnations of Israel and its response to the October 7 bloodbath perpetrated on Israeli citizens have been carefully worded with the intention of both decrying the illegal acts of protest occupation yet causing as little community offense as possible. It is telling that concerns of offending the new and burgeoning Muslim-Canadian population sees university administrators following the example of prime minister Justin Trudeau who cannot condemn antisemitism without including 'Islamophobia'.

Now, finally, after months of viral and sometimes violent university protests, Canadian universities are paying attention to the stress and fear these protests engender among Jews and Jewish university students, in the face of protest occupations of university campuses. The University of Toronto has issued a warning that protest tents on campus would be considered "trespassing"; that while the school supports freedom of expression, assembly and protest, occupations of student buildings and encampments would not be permitted.

The trouble with these warnings finally being issued, is that they've come too late. Previous assemblies complete with violent language, intimidation and disorder were permitted to occur, unremarked upon, with each succeeding iteration being more irrational, threatening and chaotic than the last. The result of which has been a growing sense of entitlement by 'pro-Palestinian', 'anti-Israel' agitators, many of whom have finally been recognized as not emanating from the student bodies of  the universities themselves, but outside organizers.

The protesters insist it is their right under the Canadian constitution to behave in a way that disrupts normal life of the university and most certainly the lives of Jewish students whom the protests tend to target for criminal harassment. Lawyers acting on their behalf have informed school administrators that the protesters refuse to disperse and dispense with their agitation until all their demands have been met by the university; condemnation of Israel, and de-investing in any ventures in which Israel would be involved, as well as outlawing interchange with Israeli academics. Their lawyers have informed school administrators that the students "have instead [of removing their tents], indicated that they intended to remain on campus indefinitely".

A man reads a sign of demands posted outside a pro-Palestinian encampment set up on McGill University's campus in Montreal, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

"[I have been] very preoccupied and concerned about the situation on campus because we've seen what happened in the last couple [of] weeks and days in the United States and Europe."

"I don't want the situation to degenerate, to get out of control."

Quebec Higher Education Minister Pascale Dery

A pro-Palestinian encampment has grown since it began Saturday at Montreal's McGill University, joining a wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrations held on campuses across the United States. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)