A pro-Palestinian activist looks at a map of Palestine taped to the fencing around their encampment on McGill University's campus in Montreal, Monday, April 29, 2024. The University of Ottawa is warning pro-Palestinian student activists who are following the lead of some American and Canadian post-secondary students and setting up camp today on university property that their protest can face serious consequences.
"U of T’s lands and buildings are private property, though the university allows wide public access to them for authorized activities," Sandy Welsh, vice-provost of students, wrote in an email sent out to the student community on Sunday. "While peaceful protest is permitted in appropriate public spaces on campus according to our policies and regulations, encampments and occupations will not be tolerated," Bercier wrote in a statement posted on the university's website.
Student activists at McGill have said they are demanding the school divest from Israeli companies that are "complicit in the occupation of Palestine." They also expect the school to cut academic ties with Israeli institutions.Campuses in the United States have seen a wave of protests in recent weeks linked to the Israel-Hamas war.