Arguably, the decision was a vindication of how the students conducted themselves. Koehnen even said they had “considerable success in shining a bright light” on what universities should or should not invest in.
Pro-human rights activists were understandably upset as they cleared their People’s Circle for Palestine at the University of Toronto (U of T) on Wednesday, but they should stand tall, because even as he granted an injunction against their encampment, Superior Court Justice Markus Koehnen called them “young idealists fighting” for what they perceived to be an important human rights issue.
While the students complied with the order to dismantle nearly 200 tents well before the 6 p.m. deadline set by the court, the students vowed to continue their calls for disclosure and divestment.
Arguably, the decision was a vindication of how the students conducted themselves. Koehnen even said they had “considerable success in shining a bright light” on what universities should or should not invest in.
Following their American counterparts, students at Canadian universities set up encampments demanding their institutions cut ties with companies associated with Israel. Some schools, such as McGill, U of T, and Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), sought court orders.
Others, such as York, Calgary, Alberta, and Laval, cleared them without any express legal authority. Yet, another, the University of Waterloo, has shamelessly sued its own students for $1.5 million.
Until the U of T decision, only UQAM had succeeded with a court order, which in that case created a buffer zone and maintained the encampment until a resolution was reached. McGill’s request was initially rejected and will be reconsidered later this month. (more...)
Court ruling a vindication for pro-Palestinian protesters at U of T
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