By Amira Benjamin

Three Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) student unions have written a letter to the school’s administration expressing their disappointment of TMU’s response regarding the Sept. 19 student arrest on campus.

The second letter—written by the Toronto Metropolitan Association of Part-Time Students (TMAPS), Toronto Metropolitan Students’ Union (TMSU) and the Toronto Metropolitan Graduate Students’ Union (TMGSU)—was dated Oct. 22.

It criticizes the “vague” tone of the university’s response and “failure” to address the unions’ demands, stating “such an anonymous and generic response is both inappropriate and disrespectful.”

A student demonstrator was physically restrained and arrested by GardaWorld security officers on Sept. 19, after a pro-Palestine demonstration interrupted an AI-focused panel event on campus, as previously reported by The Eyeopener. A video of the arrest went viral and a student walkout occurred on Sept. 30 in response.

The student unions sent their first open letter on Oct. 1, condemning the arrest. “It was a targeted act of repression against a student expressing her opinions and protesting TMU’s complicity in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people,” the letter read.

The initial letter listed six demands, including “drop any charges or disciplinary actions against the assaulted student and affirm her right and the right of all students to protest freely.”

Others included terminating the university’s contract with GardaWorld, banning “vigilante” groups such as Magen Herut from TMU grounds and “commit[ting] to protecting Palestinian students from harassment and intimidation.”

“It was a targeted act of repression against a student expressing her opinions…”

The university responded to the letter on Oct. 7—unattributed to any department or office—that the safety and security of community members is a “priority” and a review is being taken. The security guards involved in the assault “will not return to campus,” according to the university’s response.

The TMSU said in a email statement to The Eye they felt it “prudent” to speak on behalf of the student outrage and concern with the university.

“We had many conversations with our counterparts at the other TMU student unions, and the demands of the letter came as a result of conversations with them, as well as concerned students who reached out to us,” TMSU said in the email statement.

Mikaeel Mohsin, a first-year finance and economics student, said that the TMSU’s initial letter was “very well needed and it addressed a lot of issues I think students had on campus” but said the university’s response was “very vague.”

“I feel like the university should take more responsibility for their actions,” he said.

Michael Forbes, assistant vice-president of university relations, confirmed in an email statement to The Eye that an external independent review of the security officers involved in the assault will be conducted by a retired justice.

“We will be sharing an update, including the scope and terms of the review shortly. TMU is committed to a transparent process and the final report and findings will be made publicly available to all,” he said. There is no public timeline for when the final report and its findings will be published.

“Such an anonymous and generic response is both inappropriate and disrespectful”

Forbes also said the GardaWorld staff employed by the university are “from a separate company that is independent from the one operating in the U.S.”

GardaWorld, contracted by TMU for campus security, is part of the U.S. subsidiary of GardaWorld Federal Services. GardaWorld is staffing a detention center in Florida known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” as previously reported by The Eye.

The student arrest and the university’s response also sparked discussions among students regarding the efficacy and jurisdiction of campus security. Alishaan Raza, a first-year economics and finance student, says that watching security officers in the video “seems like such an abuse of authority.”

“It definitely felt very aggressive. That’s something I rarely see police doing to an average citizen, much less a security guard for a campus,” he said.

“Seems like such an abuse of authority”

Raza and Mohson also said they think the security presence they do see does not competently serve the student population.

“A protest shouldn’t be taken as seriously as a person being harassed, which happens quite a bit.” said Mohson.

“[The university] should make it clear that protesting is not a crime. It should be allowed, it’s a human right.”

In May 2024, The Toronto Metropolitan Faculty Association (TFA) passed a Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions motion, “upholding the principles of academic freedom in the face of ongoing injustice”. It also published a news release regarding the student-organized walkout on Sept. 30.

“I feel like the university should take more responsibility for their actions”

“The unions are in ongoing discussions regarding what next steps might be appropriate and will continue to support students’ right to speak out against injustice and ongoing genocide,” the TMSU said in their email statement to The Eye. “We hope the university will take these concerns seriously, and take actions to address the issues raised.”