Toronto (May 28, 2024) – Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) is seeking to intervene in the injunction proceedings filed by the Governing Council of the University of Toronto to remove the anti-Israel encampment that has occupied King's College Circle since May 2.

FSWC has spoken out repeatedly about the rising tensions on the University of Toronto campus as well as the multiple incidents of anti-Jewish rhetoric since the first days of the encampment. Among the more egregious incidents, a man shouted “Heil Hitler… I wish he murdered all you guys” while performing the Nazi salute. Additionally, there are signs in the encampment declaring "This is the intifada," and students have been documented chanting "There is only one solution: intifada revolution” and “all Zionists are racists.”

In its application to the court, the University of Toronto "alleges that in the encampment and surrounding area there have been reports of: Antisemitic slurs, harmful and discriminatory and threatening speech, postering and other communications; Multiple physical assaults; Swarming; Vandalism and property damage.” Lawyers representing FSWC will appear before the judge today to request intervener status in the case so it can speak to these concerns.

“The encampment has created a hostile environment that conflicts with the fundamental right to safety for all students, faculty and staff, especially Jewish ones,” said Michael Levitt, FSWC’s President and CEO. “It’s intolerable that Jewish students feel unsafe to cross their own campus. The university has a duty to ensure that hateful language and glorification of violence have no place on its grounds. Enough is enough. We must act now to protect our students and uphold the principles of respect and inclusion.”