Ford says schools should clear out protesters
Premier points to safety concerns raised by parents
Premier Doug Ford says it’s time for universities to clear out pro-Palestinian encampments, saying parents are concerned if campuses are safe for students and that in general, “people are fed up” with the protests.
Schools “need to move them on,” he told reporters at Queen’s Park on Monday when asked about the ongoing protests, including one at the University of Toronto, whose sprawling downtown campus surrounds the Ontario legislature.
“I’m getting messages from parents, and not just parents from the Jewish community — parents as a whole. Are my kids safe at university? Are they going to be harassed, are they going to be bullied? It’s unacceptable,” the premier said.
“We all need to work together. You want to protest, protest — but protest peacefully. No hate speech of any type for any culture, not just one.”
Ford also said he “can’t stand if there’s hate speech. I can’t stand some of the nasty stuff I’ve been seeing out there I can tell you — I talk to more people than anyone in this province … they’re up to here with this stuff.”
The protests are the latest events during the seven-month war in the Middle East that began with an attack by Hamas last Oct. 7. The protests have sparked fierce debate over the lines between free speech and intimidation, and over Canadian connections to Israel during a conflict that has seen thousands killed and a humanitarian disaster emerging in the Gaza Strip.
While demonstrators say they are protesting the actions of a foreign government, critics say those actions have repeatedly spilled over into antisemitism here at home.
The tents at U of T’s downtown St. George campus were set up last week, and protesters are demanding the school cut ties with Israel and divest from Israeli companies. The University of Ottawa is among others to have been targeted by protesters.
U of T said Monday that some progress has been made.
“Our goal remains the same: to find a peaceful conclusion to the unauthorized encampment as soon as possible, without the risk of violent confrontation or physical injury. Members of the U of T administration met in good faith with U of T student representatives of the individuals in the encampment over the weekend,” it said in a written statement from vice-provost of students Sandy Welsh, and Kelly HannahMoffat, vice-president of people strategy, equity and culture. “Our discussions have been constructive, and we see a way forward.”
With summer school now underway, and convocations on the horizon, the school said it is “working with these student representatives to address our concerns about health and safety, sanitation, emergency and public access, and language that is threatening, hateful and discriminatory.”
“We remain concerned about large numbers of the broader public coming to campus for rallies and marches. There have been several incidents of particular concern, including reported assaults and hate speech” and police have been notified, U of T said in its written statement posted online.
Mohammad Yassin, a University of Toronto student and one of the encampment’s spokespeople, told The Canadian Press that allegations of hate or violence aren’t true.
“People are walking around with their pets and their children,” he said. “There are people drawing art and reading books and sitting down in prayer circles, and that’s exactly what the space is supposed to be.”