The video shows a pro-Palestinian rally that took place outside a Zara store on Sunday. A protester, whose face was mostly covered by a mask, was seen threatening someone: “I’ll put you six feet deep.”
“I’ll put him on the ground,” said the masked man in front of several Toronto police officers at the protest. “You come near I’ll put you lay down on the floor … I’ll put you six feet deep.”
The same man returned to the scene later in the video, and again, with officers standing nearby, threatened, “I’ll put you six feet deep,” and added: “If you’re a man, come touch me.”
The video quickly caught attention on social media, including from multiple MPs who responded to it.
Conservative MP and Deputy Leader Melissa Lantsman warned that such incidents shouldn’t become “commonplace” in Canada.
Independent MP Kevin Vuong said that everyone must be equal before law, citing the criminal code that uttering threats is a criminal offence.
‘De-escalate’
In an email statement provided to The Epoch Times on Dec. 19, the Toronto Police Service said approximately 150 demonstrators entered the Eaton Centre at about 5:30 p.m. that day, and that their officers were on-scene with the mall’s security.“We can confirm that a demonstrator and another citizen who was at the mall exchanged words, which you see in a video that’s circulating, and officers were keeping them apart,” said spokesperson Ashley Visser. “We are investigating this incident.”
She added that given the “tensions” arising from the protest and considering public safety, the police tried to “de-escalate the situation.”
“During a situation like this, when tensions are high and there are large crowds of people, including the general public, officers must use their best judgment at the time, taking everyone’s safety into consideration,” the spokesperson said.
‘Where Is the Investigative Detention?’
In an online post, the Toronto Police Association (TPA), which represents members of the Toronto Police, said that the threats seen in the video were directed to a member of the public, rather than to the police.“The victim chose not to pursue the matter. TPA members are working each day to ensure protests do not escalate & we are grateful for their efforts,” the association said on Dec. 18.
This assertion was challenged by some lawyers, who said the police need no permission from the victim to take action against the masked protester.
David Anber, an Ottawa criminal defence lawyer, questioned the police’s operating procedure with regard to the masked man’s threats.
Disruptions
The incident is the latest among a series of disruptions by anti-Israel protesters.“Pro-Palestinians terrify young children waiting to meet Santa. Added bonus - they are screaming that Jesus was a Palestinian. You can’t make this stuff up,” she said on X.
A similar incident happened in Burnaby’s Metropolis at Metrotown mall on Dec. 16 where hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters flooded the complex chanting for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre faced a similar disturbance over the past weekend where protesters chanted accusations that Israel and Zara commit genocide against Palestinians.
Alleged Terrorist Plot
There’s also been a rise in violence targeting the Jewish community.In November, two Jewish schools in Montreal were hit by gunshots overnight, while a synagogue and a Jewish community centre were firebombed in the city in the same month. Additionally, a number of Jewish-owned businesses have been targets of vandalism or on-site protests, and there’s been a rise in the number of reported anti-Semitic attacks on university campuses.
The incidents followed the start of the Israel–Hamas war after Hamas terrorists launched a multi-pronged and unprecedented attack against Israel on Oct. 7 that targeted civilians.
