An anti-Israel rally took place in downtown Toronto on Saturday after an Ontario judge rejected a last-minute request by the provincial government to block the event, reported CityNews.
Toronto police estimated that approximately 4,500 people attended the Al-Quds Day rally outside the US Consulate. Participants waved Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Iranian flags, beat drums, and chanted “Free Palestine," while counter-protesters displayed Israeli flags and flags associated with pre-revolution Iran.
Police maintained a large presence at the scene, including officers positioned on rooftops observing the gathering, according to CityNews.
Toronto police said at least two people were taken into custody during the event. Authorities did not provide details on the circumstances surrounding the arrests or possible charges.
Less than an hour before the rally began, an Ontario court dismissed the provincial government's request for an injunction to prevent the event. Premier Dorug Ford’s government, which requested the injunction on Friday, had argued that the rally was a “breeding ground for hate and antisemitism."
Following the ruling, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he was “extremely disappointed" by the decision and criticized the event.
He stated that Al-Quds Day “has long been a venue for antisemitism, hatred, intimidation and the glorification of terrorism."
“While the judge cited Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, when we talk about rights we need to be clear that every person has the right to safety and security," Ford said in a statement. “We need to be clear that no one in Canada has the right to incite violence or free licence to intimidate and hate."
During the court hearing, lawyers representing the province acknowledged that there was no evidence previous rallies had resulted in criminal charges against demonstrators.
“The judge also said that Toronto Police Service do not need an injunction to preserve the peace," Ford added. “That’s unbelievable! If that’s the case, I fully expect that the police will immediately intervene at the first sign of hate, violence or glorification of terrorist organizations."
Police had previously announced plans to expand their presence at the rally, citing heightened tensions related to the US-Israeli war in Iran as well as recent incidents in which shots were fired at three synagogues and the US Consulate over the past two weeks.
Al-Quds Day was established in 1979 by Iran’s revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as a global day of demonstrations against Israel and in support of the Palestinian Arab cause. Since the early 1980s, rallies marking the day have been held in several cities around the world, including Toronto.
Al-Quds Day has long been associated with anti-Israel rhetoric and calls for the destruction of the Jewish state. The events often feature speakers who glorify terrorist organizations that have carried out attacks against Israel.
At the 2014 Toronto the event, a speaker named Moulana Zaki Baqri called for “Yahoodi," i.e. Jews, to be “dismantled." In 2013 and 2016, speakers called for Israelis to be shot.
In 2018, Sheikh Shafiq Hudda, director of the Islamic Humanitarian Service in Kitchener, Ontario, said during an Al-Quds Day rally that a day will come when we will see "the eradication of the unjust powers, such as the American empire, such as the Israeli Zionists."
One of Ford’s first pledges after becoming premier in 2018 was to pursue a ban on the protest.
On Friday, two Toronto city councillors joined Ford in urging that the event be halted.
Councillors Brad Bradford and James Pasternak called on city lawyers to intervene and prevent the rally, saying the annual march is “known for inciting violence and anti-Semitism."
“Protesters must be prevented from blocking ambulance routes and targeting businesses owned by members of the Jewish community and other minority groups," Bradford said in a statement. “Torontonians deserve to go about their daily lives in peace and security without hate and demonization."
Michelle Stock, Vice President for Ontario’s Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said the province’s attempt to obtain an injunction “reflects the seriousness of the threat facing our communities."