OP-ED: Police protected terror apologists, not Toronto’s Jews

Sue-Ann Levy writes, "The rain held off and it was a beautiful morning for the UJA’s Walk with Israel during which police estimate 56,000 people took to Toronto’s streets to celebrate."

Source: Sue-Ann Levy

Author: Sue-Ann Levy

The rain held off and it was a beautiful morning for the UJA’s Walk with Israel during which police estimate 56,000 people took to Toronto’s streets to celebrate the Jewish state.

Allies from Christian ministries and Indigenous groups joined the walkers on the 3.9- km route along the city’s Bathurst St., shortened this year likely to address security concerns.

Toronto mayor Olivia Chow was once again a no-show. She chose to attend a walk at the Toronto Zoo.

Premier Doug Ford and PM Mark Carney were also MIA, although Ford did attend a CJPAC (Canadian Jewish Political Action) party Thursday night.

New Liberal MPs Vince Gasparro and Leslie Church did walk, however.

For days and weeks before the event — now in its 55th year — terrorist sympathizers took to social media to threaten the Jewish community with massive numbers of counter-protesters, even allegedly those flown in who wreaked havoc on Amsterdam during last November’s Maccabi soccer match.

It was likely an intimidation tactic; however, some of the more radicalized did go so far as to threaten Jews with death.

In the end, only 100 Hamasniks turned up — many of them masked to hide their identities — and were shockingly escorted up Bathurst St by police to their protest zone as they screamed and shouted Jew-hatred.

To use their words, one protester is too many.

Independent journalist Caryma Sa’d’s videographer was also arrested by police.

The security was extremely tight and rightly so with officers from York Region, the OPP, Toronto Fire, the RCMP along with private security there to assist the Toronto police.

Chief Myron Demkiw, who has been repeatedly criticized for emboldening the vile and intimidating terrorist sympathizers by essentially babysitting them at heated protests, also turned up.

I can only imagine how much taxpayers will be on the hook to protect my community while we marched on public streets.

It is an extremely sad statement about what Toronto has become under the Liberal government, our Premier, our police chief and our anti-Semitic mayor.

As we headed by the protest zone, the police and security were three rows deep to keep the two sides apart.

Many of the Hamasniks — shouting blood libels about Jews and Israel and brandishing anti-Semitic signage — were masked.

One held a rainbow flag, ridiculous as it was considering that all the Mideast countries propped up by this group would jail and even kill gay people.

Israel is the only gay-friendly country in the Mideast.

The Israeli security council just labelled Canada a Level 2 security threat over growing terrorist elements and rampant anti-Semitism. Israelis living in Canada are being warned to be careful.

No doubt our new PM’s decision to recently sign a letter with Britain’s Keir Starmer and France’s Emmanuel Macron admonishing Israel has further emboldened Canada’s Jew haters.

Hamas leaders responded to the letter by thanking the three leaders — all lacking moral clarity — for taking an important step in the “right direction.”