U of T Sit-In Protestors Evicted by Police

That was brutality? Pu-lease.

That guy in the wife beater... really? He just wanted you out buddy, you push any harder and you might get arrested. Secondly, I commend the cops for not punching that chick in the nose. Man, she's probably the most annoying thing I've heard on youtube. That's right, more annoying than 2girls1cup reaction videos. It was a nice try though UofT.

Just my thoughts.

PS: I am very disappointed that Mr. Naylor didn't have the stones to speak with the protesters face to face.

I go to UofT...what the heck was this? Stop crying wolf if you're trying to be taken seriously.

The girl in the first picture was by far the most annoying thing in the entire video. (whoa, I just read the above comments. I guess I wasn't the only one annoyed by that girl.)

I love how students are so hardwired to be outraged at police (a la don't tase me bro - did you hear one of the girls practically lifting lines from that video?) that when they AREN'T being abused, they still act like jackasses.

Who's this shane guy everyone is so excited about?

The student "movement" can do a lot of good -- these folks, that woman in the first picture, etc, are awful. Graduate and shut up already, and leave the rational smart people make the real gains.

Shame indeed.

here guys, check this page out and post your thoughts. a lot of the people from the rally are just posting and patting themselves on the back at how amazingly revolutionary their actions were.

http://thevarsity.ca/article/2845-occupation-is-a-crime-

hahahaha "shane"

it sounds like fans and photographers chasing after a celebrity

Calling the actions of the police "brutality" is ridiculous. The credibility of this group is questionable. When are students going to realize that treating the administration as an enemy will not help any cause they are advocating?

Is this how pathetic the left has become?

And yes, that shrill voice of "socialism" is the most annoying thing I have ever heard. Perhaps that was their tactic ;)

no, that wasn't brutality, but force was still used to get the students to leave. i think as a u of t student we have very little opportunity for our voices to be hear, as most focus, energy, and attention are directed at those faculties which are driven by economics rather than knowledge. the "shrillness" of a voice has nothing to do with the statement which was attempted to be made, and i am glad that at least some students are not willing to blindly accept what the university hands them. no, this was not a successful endeavor, but at least people are making the effort to encourage dialogue, unlike President Naylor. and can we really say it was completely unsuccessful when it has been brought to the attention of those who may not have known about the very large fee increase?

oh and by the way the girl at the end says that mothers are going to have to work extra shifts

oh why dont you get a job so your mother doesn't have to and pay for your own damn education.

I have to work and pay for my schooling myself, you're spoiled enough to have your parents paying and you're unhappy that they're raising prices? why don't you get a job and help your mother out.

Afghanistan, Iraq, Tibet, Israel/Palestine etc have nothing to do with tuition hikes, or residence fee increases, which were supposedly the intended focus of this "protest". However, instead of focusing on that issue, this immature group decided to voice their leftist opinions on all the issues listed above. If you act like children, and do more screaming than talking do you really expect the UT admin to take you seriously and invite you to a meeting of professionals? What disgusts me is the UTSU (UT student union) supports this group and allows them to operate from their offices. This group DOES NOT REPRESENT THE MAJORITY OF STUDENTS AT UT. However, UTSU IS SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT THE MAJORITY OF STUDENTS AT UT. UTSU is already heavily polticized and clearly biased to the left. It should stop supporting radical groups immediately and get back to its job of representing the MAJORITY of students. By including an array of other political caueses and acting like children who think activism is about calling cops pigs, this group has undermined the issue of tutition hikes and residence fees.
Moreover, residence fees at New College might actually be a good thing, as they would provide funds to improve the buildings. Furthermore, if you want to complain about tuition look no further than the US for contrast. Much of UT funds come from alumni, private donors, and the government. Education is available to lower income citizens, its called OSAP! So, it's not just the shrill annoying tone of that girl's voice, it's also the content of her demands, and immature presentation.

OSAP isn't available to everyone. In fact, many (poor) people are cut off and unable to move on with their lives because of the debt they incurred while wanting a higher education.

The OSAP program has ruined many people's lives and I can't wait for the day that we, as a country, "grow up" and make higher education available to all by illuminating tuition.

Just go to Europe and see for yourself, universal education is worth it.

Update:
"
3/21/2008

Administrators at University of Toronto don't seem too worried about students threatening to take action against the school.

The students say they were roughed up while being booted from a sit in outside the president's office, they say they were there to protest rising residence fees.

A spokesman for the school says several campus police were actually attacked by the protesters."

http://www.640toronto.com/Channels/Reg/NewsLocal/Story.aspx?ID=1001856

Hopefully not with student union money...

That girl yelling was just awful, my god. I feel really bad for the cops who had to respond to this. Some people are idiots.

Dude, Don't Tase me Bro

As someone else here pointed out, continually treating the university administration as the enemy is not going to help. They want to help, but they don't have a magic wand which they can wave and suddenly make secondary education free. At least, not without reducing enrollment to the point that our public institutions become like those in many Latin American countries where admissions are so strict that it's almost impossible for anyone to be admitted. Much of this anger is misdirected: protest Queens Park or even Parliament Hill, not Simcoe Hall. At least then they're inconveniencing the right people.

I've been a student at U of T for around 7 years now. (I started as an undergrad and I'm a grad student now.) What I can say is that undergrads could have far more influence on the university than they think, most of them just refuse to pay any attention to the legitimate channels of communications. Voter turn out for the elections of the student representatives on the governing council is shamefully low. I've interacted with deans, vice-deans and other high level people at U of T and I can honestly tell you that they really do care about the student experience and want to make it better. The problem is that when students don't pay attention to the councils or the people representing them on those councils, then they typically end up with no voice. A student rep who doesn't talk might as well not be there. Believe it or not, when student reps speak reasonably and attempt to present solutions instead of just problems, people listen.

They aren't yelling SHANE- but SHAME. Shame on the administration for not even sitting down to listen to the students.

Laura, I think we figured that out (that it's shame not shane) ha-ha.

No shame on the students for making the rest of UofT look bad. I was was administration I wouldn't want to sit down and have a bunch of radicals jump down my throat about unrelated issues and their personal biases

The day we 'illuminate' tuition will be quite the day indeed. What are we going to do, shine flashlights on it? Take the cheques and paint them fluorescent orange? Although I personally don't know how illuminating tuition will make it available to everyone, those Europeans are smart (and more grown up) so I guess we should just blindly follow their lead.

From the Varsity article: Roughly 35 students entered Simcoe Hall, the university?s main administrative building, and refused to leave, chanting "occupation is a crime."

These PROTESTERS are a DISGRACE to a fine institution like U of T. They are nothing more then barbaric THUGS who were intimidating and ASSAULTING innocent working STAFF, then preventing them from coming home to their families. These are men and women who had NOTHING to do with the fee increases or the other ridiculous demands of these idiots.

I can't wait for President Naylor to expel the offending parties. Good riddance you extremist thugs, take your juvenile antics elsewhere!

PROPS to The Truth!

AQ should be run off campus!!!

TO ALL UT STUDENTS THAT DO NOT SUPPORT AQ:
Email ASSU, UTSU and let them know we will not tolerate them supporting extremist groups with OUR money!!!

Let Mr. Naylor Know you stand behind him and the administration and do not support AQ

AQ is not even a recognized UT student group!
Let's get a petition going that bans them from campus

AQ DOES NOT REPRESENT US

AQ IS NOT WELCOME AT UT

Although I don't even go to this university, as an onlooker on the whole issue I am shocked at the stance this article takes. It seems to say that it is a waste of time to care about issues that impact the well being of their fellow students. These are important issues like prejudice and a lack of democracy in a country that prides itself on being multi cultural and egalitarian

"These are men and women who had NOTHING to do with the fee increases or the other ridiculous demands of these idiots" by Truth.

This makes the big guys up top look even worse. They want these men and women to take the heat and deal with the issues while they hide. If you want to point to the bad guys that prevent these employees from getting home to their families you have to blame both sides, no? Naylor wants someone else to have to listen to complaints that he should deal with as his responsibility to the student body.

Bystander, I'm not really sure how you read that into what I wrote, 'cause I didn't write it in.

'I am definitely sympathetic to the impact of the high price of higher education on students individually and communities as wholes, but I think my immediate response to the video is "...what brutality?"'

I'm trying to say "Don't cry wolf" to people whose stated concerns and objectives parallel my own. Telling neo-Bolsheviks that trying to change the world by selling newspapers at protests that their tactics are moronic isn't the same thing as being opposed to social co-operation, and saying that I think the methods here are obviously less than effective in this case isn't the same as saying "Let's crank up tuition fees for kicks!"