Pro-Palestinian protest held outside Lakehead University convocation ceremony in Thunder Bay

About two dozen people demonstrated Thursday afternoon outside Lakehead University's convocation ceremonies in Thunder Bay, Ont., to convince the school to disclose its investments and divest from doing business with companies that support Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza. 

The 2023 auditor's report for Lakehead University shows just over $143 million in long-term investments held in balanced funds in trust and managed by professional external fund managers. The report does not offer any details about the investments themselves. 

"That [$143 million] is a black box," said Andrew Wilson, a student activist at Lakehead who was leading the demonstration. "We want to make sure these funds are invested responsibly  … We want to make sure that our tuition is not going to this [war in Gaza]." 

Wilson is hopeful the university administration will co-operate and said there are plans to meet with school officials on June 6 to discuss the issue further. 

The protest was timed to fit with Lakehead's convocation to bring awareness to the issue for new graduates and their families. 

"This is our chance and our time to say, 'Think about what you want to be funding in the future,'" Wilson said.

Protest camps and similar demonstrations have developed across North America in recent weeks, as students demand that universities stop doing business with Israel or companies they say are supporting the war. 

Organizers are working to amplify calls to end the war. Some schools, including the University of Toronto, have sought court injunctions to end encampments at their sites, while officials at other schools, such as the Université du Quebec à Montréal (UQAM) and Western University in London, Ont., have sought to negotiate. 

Lakehead University responds 

CBC News requested an interview with Lakehead officials to discuss the protest, but was sent a statement instead. It said the university was "monitoring the situation closely to ensure convocation remains a safe event for members of our community." 

"As a learning institution, freedom of expression is a fundamental part of our university community and we support students, faculty and staff to exercise their right within the limitations of that freedom according to our university policies and the law," the statement said.  

"Lakehead University has zero tolerance for discrimination or hate speech including antisemitism or Islamophobia, and the university community is aware of our policies and their responsibilities around conduct.

"Convocation is a special day that students have been working toward for years — it is a day of celebration and joy as graduates are joined by their families and friends, many who have travelled far distances to be here. We expect all protesters to conduct themselves with respect for our graduates on this momentous occasion." 

CBC News asked the school whether Lakehead would disclose its investments and whether it invests in arms manufacturers, but that question was left unaddressed in its statement. 

Conflict into its 8th month 

Israel's assault on Gaza has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in Gaza. Israel attacked the enclave after Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people and took another 250 hostage in a surprise attack on Oct. 7, according to Israeli tallies.

International criticism of Israel has ramped up this past week after Israel attacked Rafa, in the southern Gaza Strip. The international community was quick to condemn the attack, as were some of Israel's closest allies. 

Last Friday, the UN's top court ordered the nation to stop the attack in Rafa and reiterated calls for Hamas to immediately release hostages held in Gaza without condition. 

Chris Houghton, a member of Palestine Solidarity Thunder Bay, said the conflict hits close to home for him. He describes himself as Indigenous-Canadian on his mother's side and Mediterranean Arab on his father's side, and said he sees parallels between what his relatives have gone through and what the people of Gaza are facing today.

"We're seeing obviously more graphic violence, but a lot of the same problems, right? People dispossessed of their land, people without access to food, water, medicine," Houghton said.

"I think we just have to remember that these are people. They need help. Part of empathy is also doing something about it, and I feel like that's what we're doing here."