Calls for Ontario government to protect Jewish students after violent anti-Israel protest

In the wake of a violent anti-Israel protest at an event hosted by Toronto Metropolitan University students on Nov. 5, two prominent Jewish organizations are calling on the Ontario government to act.

“We expect change,” the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs in Toronto wrote in a Nov. 12 post on X. “Universities must be held accountable for protecting Jewish students.”

The CIJA added that “(h)ate and intimidation have no place in our schools.”

The X post was directed at Conservative MPP Nolan Quinn , who is minister of colleges and universities, expressing expectations that he will “take immediate action.”

Following the recent incident at TMU, we’ve joined partner organizations to call on Minister @nolanmquinn to take immediate action. We expect change.Universities must be held accountable for protecting Jewish students and upholding their own standards. Hate and intimidation…

— CIJA (@CIJAinfo) November 12, 2025

The event was organized by TMU student organization Students Supporting Israel. It was part of a university campus tour of Israel Defense Forces soldiers speaking to students about their military experiences.

The protest was spurred on by an Instagram post from another student organization, Students for Justice in Palestine, which directed protesters to the off-campus location where the event was being held.

Before the event began, protesters descended on the location, creating chaos and destroying property.

The following day, TMU manager of media relations, Jessica Leach provided a statement to NP stating: “The university is deeply concerned by an incident that happened off-campus (on Wednesday). TMU condemns any acts of aggression, intimidation, or violence and our thoughts are with any students who may have been injured during the incident.”

Leach added that TMU would cooperate fully with the police. Officers arrived at the scene after reports that “a group of demonstrators forced their way into a building.”

There were five arrests, according to Toronto police. The charges included forcible entry, obstructing a peace officer and unlawful assembly.

B’Nai Brith Canada has joined CIJA in condemning the attacks. In its own X post on Wednesday, it said a joint letter is calling on the province “to hold universities accountable for allowing hate, intimidation, and double standards to take root. Institutions have failed to act to protect Jewish students who have been threatened, targeted, ostracized, and silenced. That must end.”

B’nai Brith Canada is joining with partner organizations to demand decisive action from Minister Nolan Quinn to confront the surge of antisemitism on Ontario campuses.The joint letter calls on the province to hold universities accountable for allowing hate, intimidation, and… pic.twitter.com/meFwd0ZVr6

— B'nai Brith Canada (@bnaibrithcanada) November 11, 2025

Further, the organization said the province “must compel its post-secondary institutions to enforce existing policies, discipline students and university-affiliated groups that incite hate and sow division, and ensure that Jewish students receive the educational experience that they are entitled to.”

• Jewish TMU student says Toronto event disrupted by anti-Israel protesters was a nightmare
• Police called as anti-Israel protesters disrupt student event featuring IDF speaker near Toronto university

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