In a walkout protest organized by the Palestine Solidarity Collective (PSC), alongside the Muslim Student Association (MSA), several students gathered on the second anniversary of the Gaza war to speak out against Zionism, York University’s financial dealings, and the Aroma Espresso Bar cafes on campus. The protest coincided with “Kuffiyeh Week,” described by PSC as a “collaborative initiative with university clubs across Ontario to showcase our united solidarity with the Palestinian people and raise awareness.”
The protesters formed a small but loud crowd in Vari Hall at 12 p.m. on Oct. 7, 2025. They marched to York Lanes with two main demands for the university: disclose and divest. Some students waved flags and others held up protest signs, while chants of “shut it down” and “free Palestine” rang out in the halls.
The protestors stopped in front of the York Lanes Aroma Espresso Bar, where a student leading the protest stood on benches and told the crowd to direct their voices at the establishment and patrons inside. Aroma Espresso Bar was pointed out for one key reason: It is based in Israel and funds the Israeli military, becoming a “civilian sandwich factory” for IDF soldiers in November 2023. The protestors then booed the patrons inside multiple times and offered to cheer for those willing to leave.
Disclosure and divestment has been a hot-button topic across academic institutions, especially at York University. Regarding this, chief media advisor and deputy spokesperson Yanni Dagonas reiterated York’s statement that it “discloses its investments and has long been committed to ESG principles through both the University’s pension and endowment investment funds.
“York’s selection of an investment manager for these funds is a process that the University “takes very seriously, involving rigorous review by independent investment experts to ensure alignment with the University’s investment strategy,” he added.
Dagonas also clarified that selected investment managers are held accountable through continuous performance reviews of their activities, supporting York’s commitment to ESG factors, and concluded that “the University does not negatively screen investments or exclude any individual nations.”
The student leading the protest shifted discussions to a story of his family, describing his father’s displacement in Palestine, eventually fleeing to Kuwait due to the Israeli military. He then gave the floor to another student, also from Kuwait, who volunteered to speak and discuss his reasons for attending the protest. He described how he wanted to represent his country and three Kuwaiti doctors who were mistreated by Israel aboard a Sumud flotilla.
The flotilla attempted to bring aid to Palestine but was ultimately intercepted by Israel on Oct. 1, 2025. The volunteer wished to see a Palestine “free from this oppression and free overall.” Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire, initiated by US President Donald Trump, as of Oct. 9, 2025, and hostage negotiations went into effect the same day.
The protest leader also brought up how he was assaulted by someone on campus on Sept. 16, and criticized the security at the protest for not doing enough to help him. According to Yfile, a community safety update from Sept. 17 stated that a “physical altercation between an individual with no affiliation to the University and a York student” occurred. The statement went on to specify that they “do not permit private security on our campuses without prior approval.”
Additionally, Toronto Police Service was called and is also investigating. York’s statement concluded with an emphasis on protecting the safety and well-being of all community members, which it says is imperative in order for the university to serve its mission to promote learning through open and respectful dialogue: “We appreciate and support the hard work of our student groups to foster student life and will continue to work with them as valuable campus partners.”
The protest was one of several ways York University students have attempted to draw attention to the war, or aid Palestinians from on campus. Besides the Muslim Students’ Association, the Palestine Solidarity Collective has helped organize several protests alongside other groups, like Islamic Relief at York University (IRYU). IRYU has also been helping Palestinians through providing life saving aid to hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza, including hygiene kits, psychosocial support, and supplements. Despite their work, Israel has designated Islamic Relief as a terrorist organization, making aid harder to deliver.
As for York University, the protestors have remained firm that it should disclose and divest, and that they will not stop nor rest.
