During their protest, the demonstrators had demanded transparency in the university’s investments, urging divestment from entities linked to the Israeli occupation…reports Asian Lite News
Pro-Palestinian protesters at Canada’s largest university dismantled their two-month encampment on Wednesday, complying with a court-ordered deadline set by an Ontario judge. The University of Toronto had sought the injunction, asserting that the protesters were trespassing on campus grounds.
Mohammad Yassin, a recent University of Toronto graduate and spokesperson for the protesters, addressed supporters and reporters as they cleared out, Reuters reported.
He emphasised that they were leaving voluntarily to safeguard their community, viewing the duration of the occupation during the school’s convocation period as a significant achievement.
During their protest, the demonstrators had demanded transparency in the university’s investments, urging divestment from entities linked to the Israeli occupation and cessation of ties with Israeli-affiliated institutions. Yassin noted that negotiations had stalled recently.
In response to the conclusion of the encampment, University of Toronto President Meric Gertler expressed satisfaction that the situation had ended peacefully. He affirmed the university’s commitment to upholding the community’s rights to free speech and lawful protest, Reuters reported.
The peaceful conclusion marked the resolution of a prolonged standoff between the university administration and the protesters, underscoring ongoing tensions over issues of investment transparency and international relations.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 37,877, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement.
The Israeli military on Saturday killed 43 people and wounded 111 others, bringing the total death toll to 37,877 and injuries to 86,969 since the Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out in October 2023, it added on Sunday.
Many victims’ bodies are still under rubble or on the roads, according to the statement as reported by Xinhua news agency.
In a separate statement on Sunday, the health authorities warned that the remaining hospitals, health centres and oxygen stations in the Strip would cease operations within 48 hours due to the depletion of the fuel needed to run the generators.
Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on October 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others were taken hostage.
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