In a landmark decision, a judge in Toronto authorized the police to arrest protesters who refused to leave the campus following a court order. The University of Toronto had sought an injunction to remove around 200 tents and protesters who had been occupying King’s College Circle since May 2.
The organizers, U of T Occupy for Palestine, condemned the court’s decision, calling it an “immoral right to unleash police violence” on students. The protesters were demanding the university to cut ties with Israel and stop supporting companies profiting from the war in Gaza.
University lawyers argued that the protest violated school policies, made members of the community feel unsafe, and infringed on the free speech rights of others. The court sided with the university, stating that the protesters had caused “irreparable harm” by blocking access to the campus for 50 days.
Despite the court order, the protesters remained defiant. The judge justified the decision, stating that the harm to the university from the protest outweighed the harm to the protesters from the injunction.