Unequal Rights of Protest and Counter-Protests in Toronto : Canadian Jews' Right of Assembly vs 'pro-Palestinian' Right to Violent Hate-Mongering

"The organizers and some of the other students had come early. I heard yelling behind me. I turned around and I saw two men charge at me. One of them was wielding a drill bit."

"[The masked individuals were yelling], Death to the IDF. Arrest him. War criminal. Kill him. Get him."

"I was talking about the war, explaining that it is not a genocide. We [the IDF] differentiate between combatants and civilians."

"[Soldiers] have been killed in battle because they spent extra time trying to differentiate between combatants [who mingle among the civilians for protective covering] and civilians. This is our policy."

Jonathen Kartem, Israeli-American Israel Defense Forces reservist

 

"Jonathan is standing there like a superhero, literally blocking them. It was a very chaotic scene."

"They weren't even relenting once the police got there. They were desperate to get in and hurt us. They were there for a purpose."

"There was no opportunity to de-escalate, have a conversation."

"They were hitting the police officers. They were striking the police. They were trying to break through the police barricade."

Shoshanah OFlaherty 

 

"Too often, there is no room for true freedom of expression on university campuses [or apparently in relation to TMU, even off-campus] unless the expression adheres to anti-Israel orthodoxy."

Criminal lawyer Mark Sandler 

IDF veteran Jonathan Karten pushes trespassing protester out of the room

 

 It was an event slated for downtown Toronto on November 5 hosted by Students Supporting Israel who had invited two IDF reservists to address the gathering, explaining the conflict in Gaza and the actions of the Israel Defense Forces. Toronto Metropolitan University, where the Students Supporting Israel are registered had refused them a venue at the last minute, so the event took place off campus. Which didn't stop anti-Israel, Palestine supporters from crashing the event, masked and keffiyeh-clad, shouting their usual invectives.

 

Guest speaker Jonathan Karten was taken aback at the intensity and violence of the invaders. The event was not known to any outside the membership of the hosting group, but somehow pro-Palestinian campus groups became aware and called for action against the private discussion. Before he really knew how to interpret what was happening, Karten found himself surrounded by people dressed in black, their gender and identities obscured. As he attempted to hold the glass door leading to the room where the all-female members of the SSI group were cowering, the glass was shattered and he sustained deep injuries to a forearm.

 

When Karten's partner OFlaherty dialled 911 the first responder seemed oblivious to the seriousness of the call. "This is a very serious, dangerous situation. You need to get people here immediately. This is not a protest, this is a lynching", she told the first responder. One of the female students with SSI was so fearful during the shouting and violence she suffered an epileptic attack (as a result of a chronic condition) and ended up in hospital. Others hid under tables while more protesters attempted to breach the barrier provided by Karten. 

 

When police arrived, in an effort to restore order while being physically attacked by the protesters, five were arrested, charged with forcible entry, unlawful assembly, obstructing a peace officer, and assaulting a peace officer. A sixth person was arrested on November 12, after a search for the individual who had smashed the glass door to the event venue. A search warrant was executed on his residence, and 26-year-old Qabil Ibrahim was charged and arrested for forcible entry, mischief, assault, and unlawful assembly while masked. 

 

IDF veteran Jonathan Karten, one of the scheduled speakers, tries to reason with a protester who sneaked into the venue before the event started

 

 Ibrahim had been previously arrested in April. A video of a protest outside the Israeli Consulate in Toronto showed him climbing onto scaffolding to set an Israeli flag on fire after dousing it with an accelerant. He scurried away from the area, and others were left with the job of putting out the flames. At the November 5 event, after he had smashed the glass door, he swiftly fled the scene there too. Obviously a committed 'protester', but one that having committed physical violence, loses no time in departing the scene of the crime.

 

Police, explained Karten, had been unable to close he main building doors while protesters continued to force their way inside. "So I went down and I helped the two police officers that were trying to close the doors." More officers soon arrived, but those already in position "were all standing around downstairs, inside, when the threat was outside and so were the attackers." Then he suggested that more men were needed outside. "But they didn't seem interested in dispersing the crowd. I think maybe they were waiting for even more men to come before they would be willing to go outside." 

 

Police push out protesters to secure the building

 

 Widespread concern with respect to the way police officers respond to the constant violence targeting Jews in the city for over two years was partially addressed by Clayton Campbell, president of the Toronto Police Association, on a radio show. He spoke of the hard work during difficult circumstances by Toronto police. He went out of his way to ask Jewish Torontonians not to blame the officers. In his view, any blame rests with the chief of police, Myron Demkiw, and other law enforcement and political leaders. 

 

And it is true, the miserably formidable pair of Mayor Olivia Chow and Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw, tolerate the violence imposed by pro-Palestinian, pro-Hamas protesters on the streets of Toronto.

 

Clearer guidelines and rules for police and demonstrators would go a long way to solving some of the problems seen where no response at all to violent demonstrations simply encourage following events to become even more violent. Toronto police have become notorious for standing by and appearing to protect protesters, while informing Jewish anti-protesters that they must move away because their presence irritates the protesters and has the effect of ramping up the level of antagonism.

Pro-Hamas mobs that march through residential streets where Jews just happen to live are incited and provoked by the presence of Jews, so they are advised to make themselves scarce. Stay in their homes and remain mute and oblivious to the protesters who scream at them to 'go back to Poland', or shout 'Final Solution', else they will be held responsible for any escalation that may occur as a result of their irritating presence that irks the protesters. 

An anti-Israel activist sprays lighter fluid on a burning Israeli flag atop wooden scaffolding during a march in downtown Toronto on Friday, April 4 2025. Qabil Ibrahim, 26, of Toronto faces arson charges Courtesy X/Leviathan

 

"Officers are fearful of making decisions because they'll be blamed for decisions that aren't supported [by police brass."

"[What is needed are clear guidelines and rules for both police officers and demonstrators. Officers are] certainly not going to put themselves into a position where they're only going to be thrown under the bus if the wrong decision is made."

Clayton Campbell, president, Toronto Police Association