Man charged after assault at U of T encampment, police say
Accused was previously arrested, charged in Avenue Road overpass demonstration
A 36-year-old man from Toronto has been arrested after assault at the pro-Palestinian encampment on the University of Toronto's St. George campus earlier this month, police say.
In a release on Wednesday, police say they responded to a call near King's College Circle and King's College Road on May 9 at about 3:45 p.m.
That's where police say the accused approached the victim in the encampment and the two began arguing before he assaulted the victim.
The victim wasn't injured and the two did not know each other, police say.
The accused was arrested and charged with assault on Friday, the release says.
Asked why the information was released days after the arrest, police told CBC Toronto in an email it took about three weeks to complete the investigation.
The incident is not being considered a hate crime, police added.
Same man charged at earlier demonstration: police
Police say the same man was previously arrested on Jan. 13 and charged with obstructing a police officer for allegedly refusing to leave the Avenue Road and Highway 401 overpass during a demonstration.
Days earlier, police announced that people would be prohibited from protesting in that area, citing public safety and concerns from those in the Jewish community there.
In a statement on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the University of Toronto said the report is concerning.
"The safety and security of our students, faculty, staff, librarians and visitors is of utmost importance and we are dedicated to creating a safe, secure and equitable environment for all," the spokesperson said.
"The university has received many concerning reports about harmful and discriminatory speech, confrontations, and violence, including physical assaults, related to the encampment," the spokesperson added.
"We have referred some of these incidents to the Toronto Police Service for their assessment. We have also set out these concerns in court documents filed this week in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice as part of our application for an injunction to end the encampment."