As a full time undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, I am automatically a member of the U.T.S.U. (University of Toronto Students’ Union). As such, I receive emails and notices concerning issues, events, and of course, protests (even if they are organized by other student groups).

I received an email a week ago from my college’s student council informing students of a protest organized by a student group called AlwaysQuestion. This demonstration that AlwaysQuestion was organizing was to protest, as they alleged, a proposed increase of the residence fee by 20% at New College, which would be about an increase of at least $1000.

As a commuter, naturally, one could assume that this is not a issue for me as I do not live on residence and therefore the increase of the residence fee does not affect myself or my finances. However, as a student of the University of Toronto, the issues of my fellow students are to a certain extent my issues. I am always intrigued about different political socio-economic issues at the University and across Toronto and Ontario.

Anyways, I received an email in the evening of the 19th of March informing me that the protest was going to be held tomorrow afternoon.

I assumed that this protest was going to be a legal, peaceful demonstration just outside New College and outside Simcoe Hall. Man…was I wrong….

At 4:08pm on the 20th, I received an email stating this:

Hello Everyone,

I am writing this memo to inform you that we (the students) have occupied Simcoe Hall and refuse to leave until our demands are met.

our demands are as following:

1. immediate meeting with david naylor

2. removal of the motion to increase the new college residence fees be completely removed from the agenda

3. 15 minutes presentation at the UAB meeting on Tuesday March 25th. Here we will be presenting on the injustices of tuition fees ad the necessity of a fully accessible education

Sisters ad Brothers we need your support and solidarity as this increase will greatly hinder students access to affordable housing and will inevitably create a barrier preventing many individuals from accessing higher education.

What this meant was that this group was now was clearly illegal. New College Student Council President sent an email at 5:18pm withdrawing support from the activist group AlwaysQuestion and previous knowledge of their actions:

Dear New College:

Today at 1:00 pm EST, the activist group AlwaysQuestion staged a protest march at the University of Toronto to raise awareness about an increase in residence fees for New College students. As the AlwaysQuestion organizers kicked off their speech, the focal point of the rally changed dramatically from protesting the fee increase to other un-related issues.

In February, AlwaysQuestion approached the New College Student Council (NCSC) to seek an endorsement for their cause. Council voted in favour of a motion to support AlwaysQuestion’s campaign in which this increase in residence fees would set a precedent. It was for this reason and this reason only that NCSC supported this march. At no time did AlwaysQuestion indicate that the rally would include a sit-in at Simcoe Hall and make other demands that are un-related to the New College student community. In no way, form or fashion did AlwaysQuestion elicit NCSC endorsement for any other issues.

The NCSC would like to categorically state that due to the group’s misrepresentation of their purpose, Council disavows all ties to this organisation.

Furthermore, we withdraw our support for any and all actions and demands made by AlwaysQuestion.

New College Student Council (NCSC) 2007-2008

The following day, I received an email from AlwaysQuestion, linking it to a YouTube video of Police Officers removing protesters from Simcoe Hall:

After watching the video, I concluded that (1) the Police had every right to remove the protesters as they were technically trespassing on Private Property; (2) the Police did not at any time use brutal force to remove the protester, and used only acceptable and necessary force to remove them; (3) the protesters were only there to cause problems, they did something illegal, and they were completely irresponsible.

Do you know where most of the police overtime budget goes?

To the poverty protests. To the “lower our tuition” protests. To almost every single protest that the activist groups organize.

If there weren’t so many of these protests, the City would not have to allocate so much money to the police overtime budget and could redirect that cash to something more useful such as shelters, fixing our roads, and better services.

In my opinion, AlwaysQuestion does not represent the student population at the University of Toronto. AlwaysQuestion is a group that has shown itself to be irresponsible and are always willing to disregard the rule of law.

I ask you, Can we, as students of the University of Toronto, condone this type of behaviour from our fellow students?

NO.

I ask you, Should we, as students of the University of Toronto, condone this type of behaviour from our fellow students?

NO.

As a student of the University of Toronto, I am ashamed of the fact that my fellow students would be so irresponsible and were willing to disregard the rule of law. As future leaders of the world, we should be responsible people, and we should always follow the rule of law.

If you truly wished to lower our tuition and the other fees, then work with the government, work with the administration, work with the system, because working against the system, will get you no where.

Until then, I have one word to say to AlwayQuestion: Shame.