Pro-Palestinian protesters at an encampment on the University of Toronto campus began taking down tarps and tents Wednesday morning as they face a court order demanding the site be dismantled.
Protesters said they plan to hold a rally Wednesday afternoon before 6 p.m. — the deadline set in Tuesday’s court order.
Sara Rasikh, who acted as a spokeswoman for the encampment, said protesters have begun removing some valuables in anticipation of a possible police intervention, but organizers are still discussing next steps.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Markus Koehnen ruled that while there was no evidence that the encampment participants were violent or anti-Semitic, the protest deprived the university of its ability to control what happens in the area known as King’s College Circle.
Judge Koehnen argued that landowners generally decide what happens on their property, and if protesters can seize that power, there is nothing to stop a stronger group from coming in and taking over the space of the current protesters.
He said this could lead to chaos, so he gave the police the power to arrest and expel anyone who knows about the order and disobeys it.
In a brief statement released Tuesday evening, police confirmed that the 6pm deadline on Wednesday applies to protesters.
The police force said it would not release operational details, but noted that the court order states that police action is at their discretion.
Protesters at the encampment did not say Tuesday night whether they planned to comply with the court order. Some, however, began removing signs from the outer fences.
The protesters set up camp on May 2 and have previously said they will remain there until the university accepts their demands, which include divestment from companies profiting from Israel’s offensive in Gaza.
The court’s decision notes that the university has procedures in place to review divestment requests and offered protesters an expedited process.