‘We will not leave’: University students dig in heels at fossil fuel divestment protest

A group of students camped out in a Toronto university building say they're not leaving until their school commits to a timeline for divesting from fossil fuels.

More than 200 students have joined the 16-day occupation of the “Old Vic” building located on the University of Toronto’s downtown campus, says Erin Mackey, co-coordinator of Climate Justice U of T, the student group organizing the protest. Victoria University, whose undergraduate section is known as Victoria College, is part of U of T.

“We are not leaving until we see a tangible action divesting from fossil fuel by Victoria College,” said Amy Mann, a second-year student and co-organizer of the protest. “We have been waiting for too long.”

Since 2018, student groups have been calling on Victoria University to divest its endowment, which was valued at just under $524 million in 2021. In recent months, students have held on-campus demonstrations and interrupted the university’s board of regents meeting to register their divestment demands.

In a statement shared online last Thursday, Victoria University president and vice-chancellor Rhonda N. McEwen showed support for the student protest but noted students must “adhere to all fire and health and safety regulations while they are present in Old Vic.”

The school has requested that students remove “physical objects such as tents that are obstructing pathways, entrances and exits” and restrict protests to daytime hours only, as the building “was not meant for overnight occupancy,” the statement reads.

Mann says the school has not provided the group with a fire safety report, and the group, which has been camped out around the clock since March 27, will not be moving.

“We have the capacity to stay here… We will not leave until Victoria College joins U of T and divests from fossil fuel or police forcibly remove us,” she added.

The Climate Justice U of T occupation comes after the release of a report from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warning of the catastrophic effects of climate change and the need to transition away from planet-warming fossil fuels immediately.

“We hope this disruption and displacement pulls the administration out of their tower and forces them to confront the realities of climate change,” Mackey said. “The longer it takes for the board to divest, the more blood is on their hands.”

An online petition calling on the school to divest has also garnered more than 700 signatures, Mackey added.

“There is a sense of immense disappointment that while Vic admin and board of regents members have always professed to be progressive and caring leaders, they have failed to represent student interests or even discuss our demands in a meaningful way,” says Leah McKinney, a second-year Victoria College student and member of Climate Justice U of T, in a statement to Canada’s National Observer.

“Fossil fuel investments not only pose a serious threat to the environment but also become less profitable every year. The only way to make a substantive change that will benefit students and the broader community is to put our money where our mouth is and divest from fossil fuels.”

In a statement sent to Canada’s National Observer, McEwen acknowledged Victoria University has a vital role in advocating for climate action but noted the school does not have direct fossil fuel investments.

“We invest a portion of our general endowment (approximately $250 million in assets) into pooled funds,” said McEwen. “Only a small portion, approximately 3.5 per cent, of these pooled fund assets have exposure to fossil fuels. We use these funds to support outstanding academic offerings, university operations and signature learning experiences.”

In her statement, McEwen stressed the importance of due diligence and process as the school’s board of regents considers how to move forward while balancing its fiduciary responsibilities.

“While I appreciate that progress is often not as fast as we would like, I must recognize and commend the hard work of our board members and administration who have taken on this task with a duty of care,” she said.

As of Monday afternoon, students remained in the Old Vic building.

This story was produced in partnership with Journalists for Human Rights for the Afghan Journalists-in-Residence program funded by the Meta Journalism Project.