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Today, Canadian Jewish groups expressed relief in response to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice granting an injunction to the University of Toronto against the anti-Israel encampment on its campus.

The court ordered the removal of "any and all structures, tents, encampments, and items of personal property" by 6 p.m. tomorrow and all demonstrators to vacate Front Campus and King's College Circle at the university. Toronto police have been granted authorization to arrest and remove any person who doesn't comply with the order.

The groups, all of which were granted intervenor status in U of T's injunction application against the encampment, issued the following statement.

Joint Statement from Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, Hillel Ontario, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, StandWithUs Canada, Allied Voices for Israel, and the Network of Engaged Canadian Academics

Toronto (July 2nd, 2024) – Today, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice has granted an interlocutory injunction to the University of Toronto regarding the ongoing encampment.  

For more than six weeks, the Jewish community has been urging authorities to take action against the unauthorized occupation of Ontario campuses by anti-Israel and anti-Jewish extremists. The shameful encampment at the University of Toronto has served as a stark illustration of the impact of anti-Jewish hate on students across the province every day.

Hillel Ontario, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, StandWithUs Canada, Allied Voices for Israel, and the Network of Engaged Canadian Academics, each granted intervenor status, worked in coordination to ensure that the community’s voices were heard in this important case.

In response, Rabbi Seth Goren, CEO of Hillel Ontario issued the following statement on behalf of the group:

“We are relieved that the Ontario court has granted an injunction, eliminating any doubt that the University of Toronto may legally – and finally – remove the hateful and disruptive encampment from its campus.

“In accordance with the court’s order, we call on the University administration, in conjunction with the City of Toronto, Toronto Police Service, and other relevant public entities, to dismantle the encampment at the imposed deadline and finally put an end to the hate that has been allowed to fester at King’s College Circle for nearly two months.

“Antisemitism is millennia-old, and we know that a single injunction will not wipe this bigotry from campus or the world. As such, we continue to call on the U of T administration, Mayor Olivia Chow, and other civic leaders to make clear through their actions that conduct of this nature will not be tolerated and that antisemitism has no place on campus. Collectively, we will continue to fiercely advocate for the full inclusion and safety of our Jewish community at the University of Toronto and all campuses nationwide.”

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