Several Toronto Metropolitan University students say recent tensions on campus have shifted how they interact and express their political beliefs, not out of fear but because solidarity among students is more important than ever.
An alleged Nov. 5 attack on a TMU student at an off-campus event by Elm and Bay Streets by an IDF soldier at an event hosted by the SSI (Students Supporting Israel) was posted on Instagram.
Toronto Police arrested six protesters at the event organized by TMU's branch of Students Supporting Israel. No charges filed against the IDF soldier.
Police said a protest group of Palestinian supporters entered the private event area without permission, and one individual sustained minor injuries.
First-year student Ahmed Al-Sodani said incidents at TMU, like the incident of the security guards tackling a student in September and another in October, reflect a pattern students have learned to anticipate.
“Each time students do a protest, there's always someone getting arrested or attacked by someone,” he said. For him, student safety now feels like something students provide for one another, rather than something that's guaranteed by the institution.
“TMU doesn't do anything to stop these incidents from happening. Usually, they escalate before TMU has a response, if they do at all,” Al-Sodani said.
The incident has drawn attention from Kristyn Wong-Tam, Toronto Centre MPP, where the TMU is located.
Wong-Tam stated it remains unclear whether “the Canadian Border Service Agency has conducted interviews with the Israeli soldiers involved in the ‘Combat on Campus’ tour across Canada,” or whether federal authorities have investigated Canadians who may have travelled to serve in the IDF.
They said failing to do so “would contravene Canadian law as well as Canada’s duty to uphold our international legal and human rights obligations fairly, consistently and equally.”
Wong-Tam also referenced reports of protesters being hospitalized from the violence after the event with the IDF soldier, in her written statement.
“Publicly funded institutions must not turn a blind eye to genocide, including by welcoming potential participants in genocide,” they said.
“Our public institutions have moral and social duties of care for students and the public. This includes protecting the students from violence and upholding Canadian law,” she said in the statement.
TMU said it is “deeply concerned” about the off-campus confrontation and that police made multiple arrests after the demonstrators entered the building to protest IDF soldiers being at TMU.
“TMU condemns the acts of aggression, intimidation, or violence. The actions that took place on Wednesday are unacceptable and do not reflect the values of our community. Our thoughts are with any students who may have been injured.”
The university said safety remains a priority and that it "will apply our policies as appropriate," stating its commitment to “inclusion, free expression and mutual respect.”
TMU student, Agape Sheik, said political expression on campus now depends heavily on the environments students create for each other.
“I can understand not feeling safe if I were to be open about my political beliefs. There hasn't been protection for students,” she said.
Sheik said students frequently rely on peers for assurance and safety.
“You just have to be really cautious about what you share with people you're just meeting on campus,” she said.
Her experience in the Faculty of Arts suggests that some classrooms have become informal spaces of solidarity. “People are very open with discussion, professors… are willing for open discussion and they never really turn it down,” Sheik said.
“There hasn't been any acknowledgement of the incidents that have happened in the past month. There isn't a guarantee that you will be safe when saying what you want to say,” she said.
Both students said they want TMU to take a more active role in ensuring student safety at events.
Al-Sodani said security presence should be reliable and intentional.
“There should be some sort of security guards stationed at these events so there's no excuse for TMU to say we didn't do enough to protect these students,” he said.
Sheik said students shouldn't have to be pushed into zones to speak freely.
“In all honesty, you'd think that campus was a safe space. We shouldn't be boxed in a little corner,” she said.
