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“The student union is a corporation independent of the university, we have to be clear there,” said Michael Forbes, a spokesperson for Ryerson. “The university does not support a boycott. We don’t support divestment, nor do we support sanctions against Israel. We’ve been consistent on this point.”

York University’s student group joined the BDS movement last year. At the University of Windsor, the student union supported BDS in March in a school-wide referendum that counted little more than 1,000 votes, although a university investigation into alleged voting discrepancies could mean the vote will be thrown out.

After that vote, Windsor-area Conservative MP Jeff Watson called the BDS movement hateful and deceitful and denounced what he called “this new anti-Semitism poisoning our Canadian campuses.”

At Ryerson, Shannon Riley, president of Hillel, a Jewish student group on campus, attended Wednesday’s AGM and led a cadre of students who noisily opposed the motion, declaring it to be undemocratic.

“Basically, the room was weighted toward the motion passing. It was clear for anyone who could see it,” she said. “The environment, it was hostile. It was confrontational. I didn’t feel comfortable as a Jewish student on campus.”

Howard English, the Toronto-area president of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said such resolutions shut down dialogue and stifle debate.

“What it calls for is a comprehensive catalogue of punitive measures against Israel — and Israel alone in the world — and these measures include boycotts of Israeli products, Israeli academics, Israeli professionals, Israeli artists, Israeli scientists. It calls for total and complete boycotts of everything Israeli, including investments by universities in Israeli companies,” he said.