MPs Criticize Toronto Police for Bringing Coffee to Protesters Targeting Jewish Neighbourhood
A police spokeswoman has responded saying officers were ‘performing a helpful act’ that day while emphasizing their priority was to maintain order at the time.
A number of MPs and other politicians have criticized the Toronto police for delivering coffee to pro-Palestine protesters. Amid public concerns that these demonstrations pose a threat to Jewish communities and also disrupt traffic, this action has heightened those worries.
In a video posted on social media platform X, Toronto lawyer and online commentator Caryma Sa'd captured a Toronto police constable delivering a cardboard urn of Tim Hortons coffee along with a stack of cups to a protester during an anti-Israel demonstration that blocked access to the Highway 401 overpass at Avenue Road on Jan. 6. This location is in close proximity to neighbourhoods like Armour Heights, in the district of North York, that are known for their dense Jewish population.
Asked how he got coffee from the police, the unnamed protester said the coffee was not provided by the police but that “someone bought it for us, but police won’t let them in, so the police is now becoming our little messengers between us.”
Liberal MP Anthony Housefather criticized the police’s action of delivering coffee to the demonstrators, describing it as “a very poor decision” given the context of the protests in Toronto. He also expressed concerns that such actions could “further undermine confidence in the way the force is handling the demonstrations.”
Liberal MP Marco Mendicino also criticized the police action, saying that it “will just embolden more deliberate obstruction of traffic, undermine public safety, and add to local frustrations.” “Laws exist to prevent this. They need to be enforced!” he wrote on X.
MP and Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman emphasized that recent pro-Palestine protests have served to intimidate Jewish communities and called on law enforcement to address the matter.
“I see we’re are back to intimidating Jewish neighbourhoods and closing down overpasses the middle of Toronto,” Ms. Lantsman wrote in a post on X on Jan. 6.
“How many more weekends like this until there is equal enforcement of the law in this country? How many more weekends like this until the Prime Minister acknowledges the problem?”
Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw issued a statement on Jan. 7, offering an apology in connection with officers’ interaction with protesters.
“Questions have been raised regarding one particular interaction between officers and a person on the Avenue Road bridge during an hours-long demonstration. Whatever the intent, the impact has been to cause concern and confusion and for that I am sorry,” Chief Demkiw said on social media.
“Let me be clear and unequivocal: our commitment to keeping our city’s Jewish community safe is unwavering. We are doing everything we can in the locations that have been targeted for demonstration to uphold and enforce the law.”
Surge in Anti-Israel Protests
In recent months, Toronto has experienced a surge in anti-Israeli protests supporting Palestine, marked by demonstrators blocking roads and highway overpasses. These protests intensified following the invasion of Israel by the terrorist group Hamas last October.
Amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, pro-Palestine protesters hold a rally in downtown Toronto on Dec. 23, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Christopher Katsarov)
Toronto police have closed off the Avenue Road overpass across Highway 401 several times in recent weeks due to growing public safety concerns stemming from a series of these protests. Closures resulted from a New Year’s Day demonstration as well as a similar pro-Palestine protest featuring a prayer session on Dec. 30, 2023.
James Pasternak, Toronto city councillor for the area, voiced concerns about the protest on X on Jan.6, stating that he had spoken with Michael Kerzner, solicitor general of Ontario and MPP for York Centre.
Mr. Pasternak stated, “We will both work through the weekend to ensure this dangerous situation and harassment of the local community stops. I will work with city bylaw to enforce rules and keep the city safe.”
Gila Martow, Ward 5 councillor for the City of Vaughan, echoed these concerns. She stated on X that: “Imagine a scenario where [Ontario Provincial Police] delivered coffee to protestors in Caledonia while tax paying homeowners had to detour to get to their own homes. Optics is everything.”
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), a Jewish rights advocacy group, said it has also conveyed its concerns to the Toronto Police Service regarding the rallies at the Avenue Road overpass and expressed how the Jewish community feels about images of officers handing coffee to anti-Israel protesters.
“The constant disruption of this major route must end now,” the CIJA wrote on the X platform. “This isn’t a typical protest site. It’s an overpass in the heart of a residential neighbourhood, one that’s home to many Jewish families. Toronto cannot become a city where a few dozen ‘activists’ can harm an entire neighbourhood on a near-daily basis.”
Initial Response
Before Chief Demkiw’s Jan. 7 statement, Toronto Police maintained that the action of the officer who brought coffee was part of a de-escalation effort.
“Our officer’s motivation was to help keep tensions low and should not be interpreted as showing support for any cause or group,” Toronto Police Service spokesperson Shannon Eames said in an emailed statement on Jan. 6. “Our officers continue to work to de-escalate these demonstrations and maintain calm and the public’s safety.”
In addition to anti-Israel protests causing road blockages, there have been more direct attacks on Jewish communities in Canada in recent months. One such incident involved a fire at a Jewish-owned grocery store in North York on the morning of Jan. 3. The store was also vandalized with “Free Palestine” graffiti.
Mr. Pasternak expressed being “shocked and appalled” by the “hate-motivated attack.” He highlighted its connection to the anti-Israel movement, citing the graffiti on the wall. “This escalation of lawlessness in Toronto must come to an end.” he wrote on X later that day.
Pro-Palestinian protests in Canada began after Israel launched military operations in early October 2023 in response to the surprise attack by Gaza-based Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. A large number of pro-Palestine protesters gathered on the streets by Toronto City Hall on Oct. 9, blocking traffic reportedly without a permit, two days after Hamas launched terrorist attacks on Israel.
Pro-Palestine protesters hold banners as they marched along Bay Street in downtown Toronto on Oct. 9, 2023. (Andrew Chen/The Epoch Times)
On Nov. 7, 2023, police responded to incidents where incendiary devices were thrown at two locations in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, a suburb of Montreal on the Island of Montreal. The “firebombing” reportedly caused minor damage to the front door of a synagogue and the back door of a Jewish community centre nearby.
On Nov. 15, 2023, the Anne and Max Tanenbaum Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto, a Jewish private high school located in North York, was evacuated after police received a bomb threat. A K9 police dog unit was deployed to assist in the investigation, and a nearby daycare was also evacuated as a precaution.
Editor’s note: This article was updated to add a statement from Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw.
Chandra Philip and Noé Chartier contributed to this report
