How the university enacts violence on its own students
In the wake of a two-month-long pro-Palestine encampment at King’s College Circle, U of T released its User Guide on U of T Policies on Protests in August. The guide, based on pre-existing policies, cites the Ontario Superior Court order of July 2 which granted U of T’s request to remove the encampment and stated that “any resistance (physical or verbal)” to Campus Safety could result in the university calling the Toronto Police Services.
These restrictions, ranging from academic sanctions to police violence, could apply to violations as minor as using noise to disrupt university events or sticking signs, posters, and flyers outside designated areas on campus. Additionally, “harassing” individuals at their offices or at governance meetings and protesting at U of T without authorization constitutes a violation.
However, I believe these policies fail to acknowledge the moral responsibility of the university and its employees. If President Meric Gertler is paid $486,192 a year and U of T does not disclose whether their financial investments have potential ties to the genocide in Palestine, I believe students should be allowed to express their anger at his office.
There is no such thing as authorized protests. Resistance against an institution cannot be permitted by that institution. It is abundantly clear to me that U of T’s policies are designed to target student groups and penalize — in some cases even criminalize — individual activists.
I believe these measures and the new user guide signal a larger pattern in which the university prioritizes its public image over students’ needs and demands. (more...)
U of T’s protest guideline sends a dangerous and undemocratic message
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