‘Display of Bigotry’: City Councillor, Groups Say Antisemitism Should Be Condemned After Toronto Rally

Toronto city councillor denounces Al-Quds Day protest

A protest for Al-Quds Day during Ramadan was held in downtown Toronto on April 15, 2023. (Courtesy of Caryma Sa’d)

A city councillor has denounced a protest in downtown Toronto for Al-Quds Day, stating it was a “disgraceful display of bigotry” that violated the city’s anti-hate rally policy and other bylaws.

In a social media post following the Al-Quds Day rally on April 15, Ward 6 Toronto Councillor James Pasternak said that the event was “an illegal street closure” held without permits or permissions.

In a statement issued April 14, Pasternack said he was calling on Toronto City management to enforce numerous bylaws, including the anti-discrimination policy, the city events policy, and other statutes.

“Al Quds has a shameful history that must have a firm response. It is a shameful event that costs the city millions of dollars in police time, impedes emergency vehicles from saving lives and hurts local businesses,” he said.

“It is time the City enforces its Anti-Hate Rallies policy so we can be a city of respect, tolerance and free of hate.”

Al-Quds is an international event held around the world at the end of Ramadan with pro-Palestinian activists.

Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, an organization that advocates against antisemitism, posted video of the event, criticizing the protest, which it said included “shameful calls for violence against Israelis and posters donning antisemitic slurs.”

The organization said the protest was “vile incitement that jeopardizes Jews in Canada and around the world,” and called for the “hateful display” to be condemned.

One sign at the protest read, “when injustice becomes law resistance becomes duty,” and included the Jewish Star of David (the Magen David) with an equals sign and then a Nazi symbol. Another sign displaying the bloodied face of a child said, “Free the children. Israel cages two kids everyday. Boycott Israel, Al-Quds Toronto.”

One sign said, “Jerusalem is ours.”

A downtown Toronto protest for Al-Quds Day during Ramadan on April 15, 2023. (Courtesy of Caryma Sa’d)

Michael Levitt, a former York Centre MP and chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, expressed concern about the event on April 16.

“The silence in the wake of this hatefest is absolutely deafening. This is the streets of Toronto!” he said.

Neil Orlow, chair of global education with the Abraham Global Peace Initiative, also posted video of the event and suggested it was “meant to incite violence against the Jews & the state of Israel.”

“Holding posters of Auschwitz & images with swastikas only furthers the historical distortion antisemites perpetuate,” he said.

The group Canadian Defenders 4 Human Rights (CD4HR) defended the event on social media, saying it was “an amazing day of unity against the occupiers of holy Palestine.”

“The people’s support for armed & peaceful resistance has grown to a new unprecedented level & they are all very hopeful in a FreePalestine very near,” the group said on April 16, with the hashtags “zionismterrorism” and “zionismracism.”

“The resistance is justified when people are occupied & we all support the axis of resistance,” posted CD4HR, along with a video of the parade.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, an advocacy group for Jewish Federations across Canada, alleged the rally included “calls for intifada—armed violence targeting Jews—& flags of the brutal Iranian regime & Hezbollah terrorist group.”

“Such hate has no place in Canada,” said the Centre.

The event has taken place in Toronto for a number of years.