A pro-Palestinian encampment remains at the Ontario Tech campus in north Oshawa.
It was set up on Polonsky Commons on May 6.
Ontario Tech officials told the occupants to dismantle the encampment by May 9 at 5 p.m. because of health and safety risks and potential disruptions to activities planned in that area on May 10.
The occupants rejected the university’s request.
The university then invited encampment occupants to discuss their issues.
At first the university said the talks were positive, but in an update the university said more recent talks were not as positive.
A key demand centered on the divestment and disclosure of the university’s aerospace investments.
Ontario Tech supported the disclosure of that information as well as an added commitment to expand access to education for Palestinian and other displaced students.
That’s when the university says the occupants asked for more.
Statement from Ontario Tech:
The occupants responded that they would not remove the encampment and made additional demands that not only escalated what was initially requested, but also shifted in tone. They have now expanded their demands to include information on all our donors, with an apparent motive to identify individuals based on their Israeli heritage. Their new demands not only contravene legal, contractual, and ethical standards, but also undermine the university’s commitment to equity and inclusion for all community members, irrespective of their faith or ethnic background. Additionally, their response included inaccuracies and misleading statements as well as a clear injection of third-party interests by individuals who are not members of the university community.
The occupants say they will remain in the encampment until further discussions lead to final written agreement that satisfies their demands.
Jewish faculty at the university have reported feeling unsafe because of the encampments.
According to faculty members Ontario Tech has told them they are safe and to call security if they feel unsafe.
Ontario Tech released the following statement on Tuesday afternoon
“As an academic institution, we continue to take steps to ensure a balance between our students’ rights to freedom of expression, while centering the well-being of our community. We regret to learn that any member of our campus community does not feel safe as a result of illegal encampments. We are reviewing and continuing to implement a variety of measures to ensure we continue to prioritize the health and well-being of our faculty, staff and students during this difficult time.
In addition to the support available to our campus community, we encourage them to reach out to our Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging team along with our Human Resources department as both are available to review their concerns.”
-Ruth Nyaamine, Assistant Vice-President, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging
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