Toronto police say protesters will be banned from demonstrating on residential streets near Bathurst and Sheppard in the district of North York, citing “increased volatility and heightened fear" in the community, CTV News reported Tuesday.
In a statement, Toronto police added that demonstrations in residential neighborhoods present “an unacceptable risk to public safety." They noted that protesting at the main intersection may continue.
“This is a targeted response to specific concerns and a measured step to reduce the risk of escalation and maintain public safety," Toronto police said.
“Officers will provide clear direction on the ground. Individuals who do not comply may be subject to arrest for obstructing police."
The neighborhood has seen nearly weekly anti-Israel demonstrations since October 7, 2023, which have included violent anti-Israel chants.
During a protest in November of 2024, anti-Israel protesters were filmed reenacting the final moments of Hamas leader and October 7th massacre orchestrator Yahya Sinwar.
Last week, Toronto police launched an investigation following reports that antisemitic images were displayed during a demonstration held near Bathurst and Sheppard.
Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Toronto police Deputy Chief Frank Barredo defended the directive.
“The change is not so much about curtailing charter rights more than absolutely necessary. We understand Charter section 2 that allows for peaceful assembly, allows for expression, so we take limitations on that very seriously and we think at this time that it is a reasonable limitation as afforded to us by section 1 of the Charter to limit the extent to which protests occur," he said, according to CTV News.
Toronto police noted that there have been 20 arrests at the location specific to protest groups.
Barredo said the ban is the appropriate and hopefully effective step to take.
“It may be possible that sometime down the road we may consider something different that might even include an injunction," the deputy chief said when asked about why Toronto police didn’t get a court order to stop the protests.
“You can still protest right where you have been at Bathurst and Sheppard. You can still move along Bathurst. You can still move along Sheppard. These are main streets," Barredo said.
“What we are taking issue with and restricting is movement into quiet residential streets where there is nothing more than people living in their homes."
Toronto and the area have seen a sharp uptick in antisemitism since the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023.
Most recently, shots were fired at Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto Synagogue in Vaughan, just north of Toronto, one of the largest Orthodox synagogues in North America. No one was injured in the incident, though the building sustained damage.
In a separate incident that same night, Toronto police said shots were also fired at the Shaarei Shomayim Synagogue in the city. As in the earlier attack, no injuries were reported, but the synagogue building was damaged.
Days earlier, gunfire struck Temple Emanu-El in North York, as members of the congregation were marking the Jewish holiday of Purim. There were no injuries but the building was damaged.
Data released by the Toronto Police Service in May found that the city experienced a historic high in reported hate crime incidents in 2024, with the Jewish community, once again, being the leading target.
The federal government of Canada announced two weeks ago that it will allocate $10 million to help Jewish communities strengthen security at their institutions.