Ryerson Students Afraid to Speak Out Over Toppling of Statue, Fellow Student Says

A protester swings a hammer in an attempt to remove the head of the Egerton Ryerson statue after it was toppled at Ryerson University in Toronto on June 6, 2021. The Canadian Press/Chris Young

Students at Ryerson University who are opposed to the recent toppling of a statue of the school’s namesake are afraid to speak out for fear of being shunned by peers or being targeted online, says a student at the school.

Jonathan Bradley, a fourth-year journalism student at Ryerson, says other students have told him they’re in favour of keeping the statue but worry they’ll be ostracized if they speak out.