We, the undersigned students, faculty, education workers, staff, and alumni of the University of Toronto, support the People's Circle for Palestine and oppose the University's attempts to receive an injunction for its removal. University President Meric S. Gertler does not speak for our community.
June 12th, 2024
To the Right Honourable Judge Markus Koehnen:
We the undersigned members of the University of Toronto community—comprising undergraduates, graduates, faculty, staff, and alumni—wish to express our dissent with the University Administration’s approach to the student protest broadly, and with the injunction against the encampment, known as The People’s Circle for Palestine, in particular.
We wish to articulate three key points to Your Honour: first, that President Gertler misrepresents the encampment to the University; second, that President Meric Gertler does not represent the community that makes up the University; and third, that we support the encampment and its goals.
On June 6th, University of Toronto President Meric S. Gertler conveyed the administration’s legal opinions on the encampment as matters of fact to the university community. These statements included the assertion that the encampment itself is an infringement on free speech rather than an exercise of it. We recognize that this question is now before you for determination. We contend that President Gertler’s approach in discussing the encampment with the broader university community is not only a misrepresentation of the legal status of the encampment but also a dangerous vilification of the peaceful and democratic activities of the student protestors.
In the course of the injunction proceedings, we believe you will find that The People’s Circle is a vibrant, inclusive space where students and educators from diverse ethnic, faith, and racial backgrounds have come together to exercise their rights to free speech and public assembly. They are protesting against the ongoing destruction of Palestinian life and freedom, holding the University of Toronto accountable for its commitment to freedom of speech, civil liberties, and human rights. Furthermore, they are asserting their right to participate in the governance of the institution. This unique space, part of a broader social movement, fosters productive dialogue on critical issues concerning social justice, international security, and the future of humanity. It is a space where the community learns, reflects, mourns, creates, and envisions a better, more peaceful world.
Despite this, President Gertler claims to speak and act on behalf of the University of Toronto community. To this we say an emphatic no.
Respectfully signed,