Toronto police say they will enhance presence downtown amid concerns over hate speech, violence at protests

Toronto police say that they will have an enhanced presence downtown this weekend as more than a dozen protests take place, including a pro-Palestinian rally that has been the site of clashes between demonstrators in the past.

Police Chief James Ramer held a news conference on Friday morning to discuss the operational planning for this weekend’s protests.

He said that some members of the public have expressed concerns in recent days about an Al-Quds Day protest planned for Saturday afternoon in the downtown core, specifically regrading the “potential for hate speech, as well as the potential for confrontation between participants and those who are opposed to the event.”

“I think we can all agree that there is no place for this,” Ramer said. “I want to reassure those who have these concerns that like all demonstrations, the Toronto Police Service will be visibly present and actively monitoring these events. As always, we respect people's charter rights and will facilitate lawful and peaceful protest. What we will not tolerate is civil disobedience and violence or hateful behavior that crosses the line into criminality.”

Members of the Jewish community have expressed concerns about antisemitic speech at Al-Quds Day protests in the past and have called on the city to prevent the rally from taking place.

Ramer said that given the concerns, police are taking several steps to make sure the event remains peaceful, including placing members of the Hate Crime Unit on the ground so that they can immediately investigate any “any suspected hate crimes or hate speech or signage.”

He said that the service will also be embedding officers who speak different languages into the crowd “so they can record firsthand what's being said amongst the crowds and in speeches.”

Finally, police will also be installing additional camera near the planned protest side outside the University Avenue courthouse to aid with any investigations that may arise from the protest.

“The charter allows freedom of expression and an ability to demonstrate and so we will facilitate those events. However, you know, we are monitoring this and freedom of expression does have a limit,” Ramer said. “We'll be recording everything that happens and if there's something that is determined to cross the line into criminality, we will proceed in terms of prosecution.”

PREMIER HAS SPOKEN OUT AGAINST AL QUDS DAY RALLY IN THE PAST

Premier Doug Ford promised in 2018 to “take action to ensure that events like Al Quds Day, which calls for the killing of an entire civilian population in Israel, are no longer part of the landscape in Ontario.”

Quds Day, officially called International Quds Day, is an annual event to express support for justice for Palestinians and oppose Zionism and Israel.

The protest wasn’t held in 2020 or 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but is set to return to the streets this weekend.

In a statement released on Friday, Toronto Mayor John Tory said that he is hopeful that all of this weekend’s demonstrations, including the Al-Quds Day rally, are “free of hate, free of violence, free of discrimination and free of harassment.”

But he said that should that not be the case, police will have his “full support” in doing what is necessary to hold those who partake in hateful behaviour accountable.

“As we know, hate crimes are on the rise across North America, including in Toronto. We have seen an unfortunate rise of hate crimes against all communities. The Toronto police’s hate crime report indicates that Toronto’s Jewish community is the most targeted group,” he said. “We must as a city and as residents do everything to combat antisemitism and hatred in all of its forms, and that includes our duty to protect the sanctity of public spaces to ensure everyone feels safe everywhere in Toronto.”

Police say that there will be a total of 14 protests of varying sizes taking place downtown this weekend, including the Al-Quds Day event.

They say that rolling and static road closures could be implemented to accommodate the protests and that anyone heading downtown should be prepared to face some delays getting around.