The University of Toronto has greenlit an event honouring “martyrs” on the second anniversary of the Hamas-led October 7 terrorist attack in Israel.
The University of Toronto-Mississauga’s student union is hosting a vigil “honouring martyrs” in conjunction with the school’s Campus Muslim Association.
The event is planned at 3 pm, exactly two years to the date of the deadly Hamas-led massacre of Israeli civilians, which killed over 1,200 Jews, and resulted in the kidnapping of over 250 hostages — around 50 of whom are still being held captive.
“On October 7th, from 3–5 PM outside the Student Centre, we gather to commemorate two years of genocide in Palestine. The commemoration will include speeches by guest speakers and moments of remembrance, as we stand together in solidarity, ensuring the martyrs of Palestine are never forgotten,” the UTMSU said in a post. “We remember the martyrs, we honour their legacy, and we continue the fight for a free Palestine.”
The student union did not respond when True North asked if they considered combatants and Hamas fighters as “their martyrs” and why October 7 was chosen for the event.
Hamas is a listed terrorist entity by Public Safety Canada.
In another post, student union president Se Chan (Andrew) Park and vice-president Manaal Fatima said the ceremony aimed to create a “safe and respectful space for students and community members to come together and grieve the countless lives lost in the ongoing genocide for the past two years.”
No international court has found validity in claims that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. The post makes no mention of the Jewish lives lost on Oct. 7, the day chosen for the “commemoration.”
University of Toronto president Melanie Woodin did not respond to True North’s requests for comment, though a spokesperson for the university said the event would go on but that they would “monitor” it.
“We are monitoring events on our campuses this week related to the Oct. 7 anniversary and will take action if any pose a safety risk, contravene university policies or break the law,” the spokesperson told True North. “Concerns have been raised about one student union event planned at the Mississauga campus. We have met with the leaders of that independent student group to remind them of their obligations. UTM Campus Safety and Peel Regional Police have been in contact and are jointly working to assess safety and prepare appropriately.”
Conservative Deputy Leader Melissa Lantsman criticized the event on X, noting the U of T receives tax dollars.
“A daily reminder that we have a government that confuses moral equivalence with diplomacy, performing empathy while erasing clarity. Remember that they will condemn antisemitism in speeches and tweets but fund it in grants, excuse it in extremist activity, and ignore it in policy,” she wrote in a statement on X. “Your tax dollars fund celebrating the slaughter of Canadians among the many victims of October 7th and they won’t even lift a finger to change that. They won’t even acknowledge it.”.
Dr. Casey Babb, a senior fellow at the Macdonald Laurier Institute, who is also Jewish, called out the event as well, saying on X, “They’re celebrating our slaughter and don’t pretend to hide it.”
Several alumni of the University of Toronto also chimed in “revolted” at the event.
“On October 7 – the anniversary of the day terrorists massacred, raped, and kidnapped over 1,000 people in Israel,” Aviva Klompas, a former speechwriter for the Israeli mission to the UN, said on X. “This is hate speech and it’s the glorification of terror. U of T President Woodin and city officials must make that clear.”
Former Conservative MP and U of T alumnus Rick Perkins, who served on the university’s Students’ Administrative Council, called the event an antisemitic act by the current student association.
“Student fees should not be used for the is outrageous act of hate,” he said on X.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow shares some blame for allowing protests that glorify terrorism to fester in the city, said Greg Brady, host of 640 Toronto’s Toronto Today radio show and former Conservative candidate for Ajax, Ont.
“There is ample room for criticism & protest surrounding so much of this horrific war. That is NOT what this is – this is glorification of the October 7th attackers,” he said on X. “Of course, U of T should be ashamed, but the Mayor of any city where this takes place within its boundaries should also be. As we’ve established, you cannot shame the shameless.”