Ford Directs Ontario Attorney General to Seek Injunction to Block Al-Quds Rally in Toronto

Ontario Premier Doug Ford attends a media availability at the TTC Davisville subway yard in Toronto on Feb. 18, 2026. The Canadian Press/Chris Young

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has instructed the province’s attorney general to “pursue” an injunction to stop the Al-Quds Day protest at the U.S. consulate in Toronto’s downtown on March 14, just days after the site was targeted by gunfire.

“This demonstration is nothing more than a breeding ground for hate and anti-Semitism. It glorifies violence. It celebrates terrorism. It has no place in Ontario. It has no place in Canada,” Ford said in a video posted on social media.

“If we don’t act now, if we don’t act decisively, the hatred won’t stop. Our government has a responsibility to do everything we can to protect our communities and put an end to the hate that we see in our province and country,” he said. 

Al-Quds Day is a global pro-Palestinian event held on the last Friday of Ramadan each year to express support for Palestinians and oppose Israeli control over Jerusalem. The annual event was started in 1979 by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Attorney General Doug Downey had yet to file the injunction by publication time, but the province’s decision was swiftly applauded by Jewish groups, including the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA).

CIJA Ontario vice-president Michelle Stock said in a press release that the decision to seek an emergency injunction to stop the rally “reflects the seriousness of the threat facing our communities.”

The move comes after Toronto Councillor Brad Bradford urged the city on March 12 to take legal action to prevent the rally.

“I am calling for the City of Toronto to file an injunction to stop Al-Quds Day planned for this weekend,” Bradford said in a video posted to social media where he described the annual event as a “platform for antisemitic hate and extremist rhetoric.”

“It has been an event that unfortunately has been associated with hate and potentially violence for many years, and we just cannot afford that in the City of Toronto right now,” Bradford said, citing three incidents of gunfire targeting synagogues in the city within the last two weeks.

The Ward 19 Beaches-East York city councillor has written a letter to Toronto’s lawyers asking them to go to court on March 13 to seek the cancellation of the weekend rally, similar to the outcome in London, England, where the Al-Quds parade was terminated by the UK government following a request from the Metropolitan Police.

The request comes as the Palestinian Youth Movement is promoting the March 14 protest on social media. An Instagram post notes that the demonstration will begin at 3 p.m. outside the U.S. consulate on University Avenue.

The embassy became the scene of what the RCMP is describing as a “national security incident” after two suspects opened fire on the building during the early morning hours of March 10.

Ontario Solicitor General Michael Kerzner has also voiced concern about the upcoming Al-Quds Day protest planned in front of the U.S. embassy on University Avenue, calling it “synonymous with antisemitism” in a statement posted on X.

“Any display of antisemitism, intimidation, or the glorification of terrorist groups and their violence is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in Ontario,” he wrote in the March 11 post.

‘Plan in Place’

The Toronto Police Service said it has plans in place to protect both the U.S. consulate and the public this weekend.

Supt. Craig Young told a March 12 press conference that the police service has “stepped up” its resources around the consulate and has “a specific plan in place” to deal with the demonstration on March 14.

Those plans include restricting the airspace around the U.S. consulate throughout the weekend. The restriction will apply to all drone operations, including anyone operating micro drones, Young said.

Police will also be working with municipal, provincial, and federal partners, along with intelligence agencies, to monitor potential risks tied to the event, he said.

“Our major incident command centre will be activated to support this event, allowing us to monitor developments in real time and coordinate resources as needed,” said Young, who oversees Emergency Management and Public Order for the Toronto police.

The police are also preparing for counter-protesters to also be in attendance at the weekend demonstration, Young said, noting that there could be several thousand people in the area.

“Our initial estimates were around 3,000 (people), but given the geopolitical tensions and the situation around the world, we anticipate that there may be a few more,” Young added.

“Our priority, as always, is to ensure the safety of everyone involved, including the participants, counter-protesters, residents, visitors, and our officers.”

Young stated that international developments and recent synagogue shootings in the region have amplified safety concerns throughout the city.

“Developments in the Middle East, including recent military actions involving Iran, have increased emotions and sensitivities within many communities here in Toronto,” he said.

“Within the last two weeks, there has been violence targeting three synagogues in the GTA, as well as the attack on the United States consulate on Tuesday. These incidents have heightened concerns and contributed to a greater sense of fear and unease in the city.”

Escalation of Violence

Tensions have escalated since the United States and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran on Feb. 28 to dismantle the country’s nuclear program. The attack killed Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as well as several leaders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Violence has erupted in a number of areas since the conflict began, including in Michigan, where the FBI is investigating a shooting and vehicle ramming incident at a synagogue just outside of Detroit. Authorities in Norway are also investigating after an explosion at the U.S. embassy in Oslo.

Violence has also picked up in the Toronto area since the conflict started. The U.S. embassy shooting in Toronto on March 10 remains under investigation by the RCMP and Toronto police.

Toronto police are also investigating a shooting at the Shaarei Shomayim synagogue in the city’s North York district on March 7 and a late-night shooting at the Temple Emanu-El Synagogue in Toronto on March 2. No injuries were reported in either incident.

York Regional Police is investigating two similar incidents: a March 7 shooting at the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto synagogue in the Thornhill neighbourhood and a March 1 shooting at a Toronto-area gym owned by Iranian-Canadian activist Salar Gholami. The location was targeted two weeks after its owner co-organized an anti-Iranian regime protest in Toronto attended by 350,000 people. No one was injured in either shooting.

Violence also continues in the Middle East. A large explosion shook a region of Iran’s capital on March 13, where thousands had assembled for a state-organized rally in support of the Palestinians and to demand the end of Israel. Israel had issued a warning that it would strike the area in central Tehran.

There were no immediate reports of casualties. However, the choice to move forward with the mass demonstration, which was attended by several senior government officials, along with Israel’s threat to target the area, highlighted the intense resolve on both sides nearly two weeks into a conflict that exhibits no signs of abating.

Iran has persistently conducted extensive missile and drone assaults on Israel and adjacent Gulf nations, while effectively sealing off the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial passage for one-fifth of the global oil trade, despite U.S. and Israeli aircraft striking military and various other objectives throughout Iran.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.