The University of Toronto has erected a new fence along part of its downtown campus and warned students that it will not tolerate protests on its grounds following the demonstrations in the United States and Canada demanding that educational institutions divest from companies with military ties to Israel.

A message sent by the university's Vice Dean, Sandy Welch, last Sunday to students stated that while the school is committed to free expression and legal, peaceful protests, it will not tolerate “unauthorized activities,” and students who violate its policies will face “consequences.”

This comes after students set up camps on the campus of McGill University in Montreal last weekend, calling on the university to divest from companies with ties to Israel. McGill stated that the camp violates university policies and the law.

A sit-in was also organized for hours at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) on Tuesday, which resulted in the institution restricting access to campus buildings until further notice due to "safety concerns."

The university stated in a written statement: “We will not tolerate any activities by community members or others that pose a risk to the university campus or its members.”

It added that protests are a routine part of campus life, noting that there has been no impact on programs, classes, or events.

In the meantime, police have stated that they are aware of the sit-in and are present at the scene.

At this stage, it is unclear whether a sit-in at the University of Toronto has been planned or not.

Welch also stated in the message: “The lands and buildings of the University of Toronto are private property, although the university allows public access to a wide extent for authorized activities, unauthorized activities such as camps or occupying university buildings are considered trespassing.”

A group on social media has called for the university to divest its pension plan from companies that provide military goods or services to the Israeli government and also requests that the university publicly disclose the names of all companies it invests in.

An open letter circulated online to the university, signed by nearly 2,000 alumni, staff, and faculty members, echoed the group's concerns.

The open letter stated: “We unequivocally condemn the university's repression of students' freedom of expression and its complete disregard for their safety, and we urge the leadership of the University of Toronto to respond immediately and publicly to students' demands, including divesting the university’s financial assets from companies that support Israeli apartheid.”