Toronto police say they’ll be increasing their presence across the city ahead of the one-year anniversary of the start of the Israel-Hamas war, with multiple command posts in Jewish neighbourhoods and near religious institutions as hate crime reports soar.
Monday will mark one year since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.
Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw says there will be more plainclothes and uniformed officers, as well as patrol cars, dispatched across the city to address the potential for increased protest activity and violent acts amid rising tensions in the Middle East.
“Let me be clear: Hate has no place in Toronto and we stand united in protecting our diverse communities,” Demkiw said at a Wednesday news conference. “We know emotions are intense, and as demonstrations continue, we must balance the right to assembly with the need to maintain public order and public safety.”
Demkiw says there will also be multiple command posts in Jewish neighbourhoods and at various mosques in the city, and police are working with partners and intelligence services to monitor potential threats.
Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw outlined plans to increase patrols and implement mobile command posts ahead of the first anniversary of the deadly Hamas attack on Israel.
He says police will also continue ensuring safety at demonstrations while balancing the right to assembly and expression.
“We must stand together as a city and violence and hate — whether directed at each other or the police — is not the solution,” Demkiw said.
Demkiw says in the year to date, there have been 350 alleged hate crimes reported in Toronto — a 40 per cent increase since this time last year — with the greatest increase in alleged hate crimes against the Jewish community, which are up by 69 per cent.
