Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow is being criticized after a video of her saying “Free Palestine" while attending the Pride Parade in the city on Sunday circulated on social media.
The video was shared by many users, including Canadian author and attorney Warren Kinsella who has focused on monitoring and combating antisemitism.
“Here's Olivia Chow, who claims to be the mayor of every person in Toronto, saying 'free Palestine,'" wrote Kinsella.
“Jews are a minority in Toronto. They feel unwanted and unsafe. Chow is one of the reasons why," he added.
Canadian journalist Dahlia Kurtz also shared the video and wrote, “Mayor Olivia Chow screams 'Free Palestine' at Toronto Pride parade."
“You know, the same two words terrorists have screamed before murdering and butchering their victims," added Kurtz.
Chow has been criticized for past anti-Israel actions, notably when she failed to attend a 2024 memorial and vigil organized by the Jewish community on the first anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 massacre.
At the time, Chow claimed there had been a “miscommunication" and that her office did not get the email about the event.
Previously, she decided not to attend a city hall ceremony marking Israel’s Independence Day in which the Israeli flag was raised, claiming that doing so is "divisive" due to the war in Gaza.
Toronto and the area have seen a sharp uptick in antisemitic violence since the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023, and particularly in the last few months.
In early March, shots were fired at two Toronto-area synagogues within several hours. Several suspects have been arrested in connection with those shootings.
Also in March, gunfire struck Temple Emanu-El in North York, as members of the congregation were marking the holiday of Purim. There were no injuries but the building was damaged.
In late April, a male suspect attempted to force his way into an Orthodox synagogue in Thornhill, just north of Toronto, and assaulted a victim before fleeing the scene.
A day later, a rock was hurled at the window of a Judaica shop in Toronto, marking the third time this particular store has been attacked.