Dear U of T community,
On Wednesday evening, the encampment on King’s College Circle at the St. George Campus came to a peaceful conclusion as the protesters complied with the order of the Ontario Superior Court and left Front Campus before the stipulated deadline.
I’d like to thank all those who contributed to this peaceful resolution.
The University’s vast diversity of scholarly interests, perspectives, beliefs and lived experience is the foundation of our strength. The University’s case before the court was predicated on protecting everyone’s right to protest in a way that enables freedom of expression for our entire community. The Court’s decision affirmed our conviction that no group has the right to appropriate any part of our campus for their use to the exclusion of others. It also found that no group has the right to silence others. These principles are fundamental to our purpose as a centre of higher learning, discourse, and scholarship.
The Israel-Hamas war continues to cause enormous suffering and distress. It has been deeply divisive within our community. Members of the U of T community have shared a wide range of views with me and with members of the administration since the encampment began. Some of our colleagues and students have been left feeling frustrated or unwelcome. In the months ahead, we will work to address these harms and find healing in the longer term.
Let me conclude by reaffirming the principles of integrity, humanity, and caring that are at the heart of our University, and that have guided our decisions over the past two months. I invite our entire community to move forward, together.
Sincerely,
Meric S. Gertler
President