A showdown may be imminent as pro-Palestinian protesters vowed on Friday to ignore a University of Toronto trespass notice to vacate by 8 a.m. Monday.
University officials warned that those who remain beyond the deadline will face “consequences under university policies and the law,” according to a statement posted online by the school.
Protesters could face up to a five-year suspension or expulsion, while dozens of faculty members and staff who have joined the encampment could face “disciplinary measures up to and including termination of employment.”
The university administration has rejected the protesters’ demand to end partnerships with Israeli universities and sever ties with Israel and companies benefiting from the conflict in Gaza.
However, it has offered students the opportunity to present their demands at a university board of governors meeting on June 19 and announced the formation of a group to consider disclosure and investment terms.
The protesters remained defiant in the face of the trespass notice. “We’ll continue to be here, and we’ll continue to demand divestment,” said Erin Mackey, an encampment spokesperson, according to the National Post.
“That is an ultimatum,” stated encampment organizer and fourth-year student Kalliope Anvar McCall at a Friday news conference, reported CBC News.
“They’re trying to force us to accept these outrageous terms by threatening to clear us out at the same time.”
Despite the trespass notice, the National Post reported that an encampment organizer mentioned the administration agreed to meet on Sunday to continue negotiations.
The encampment at the University of Toronto, Canada’s largest school with nearly 62,000 students, was established on May 2.
Similar encampments were also set up at other major Canadian post-secondary institutions, including the University of Ottawa, University of British Columbia, and McGill University.
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