Professors joined students in the pro-Palestinian encampment on the University of Toronto campus on Saturday, says an assistant professor who is participating in the protests.
Robyn Maynard, an assistant professor at the university, says they are present in large numbers in solidarity with the students.
We believe it is very important for us to be present as witnesses, given the dangers to which some students have been exposed
she adds.
It is also important to be here, because their demands are important [notamment celle] asking the university to divest from Israel.
According to Ms. Maynard, students would not leave until the university responds to this demand.
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Ms. Maynard wants the University of Toronto to follow the example of other universities which have agreed to address the demands of the demonstrators.
Photo: Radio-Canada
She points out that Brown and Rutgers universities in the United States have already agreed to closely examine the students’ demands, as part of their own protests.
Students believe in this cause
for his part supports Ahmed Ayash, another demonstrator. I think they are willing to stay as long as it takes until the University of Toronto really understands that the students are serious.
Since the encampment was set up Thursday, more than 3,100 former university students have signed a letter of support for the protesters.
A camp denounced by some
Hillel Ontario, an organization that describes itself as supporting Jewish life on college campuses, calls the protest completely unacceptable
.
We are deeply disappointed by the lack of adequate response from the university
declares its spokesperson, Jay Solomon.
Still according to him, the demonstrators are creating a hostile environment
and chant hateful slogans
.
The Network of Engaged Canadian Professors, an association of Jewish academics, says the faculty members were blacklisted
because of their political opinions and that they were being targeted.
With information from the Canadian Press
