Police stop Canadian anthem as Palestinian flag raised in Toronto

Police stopped a man from playing the national anthem during a Palestinian flag-raising ceremony in Toronto.

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Police stopped a man from playing the national anthem during a Palestinian flag-raising ceremony in Toronto. While no official explanation appears to be given in the video, it appears as though it was seen by police as a disturbance to the ceremony.

In a video posted to social media, a man can be seen beginning to play Canada’s national anthem with a speaker outside Toronto City Hall at Nathan Phillips Square on Monday.

However, police arrive and shut off the man’s speaker, prompting the small crowd to continue singing the song acapella.

The flag-raising ceremony is to commemorate “Palestinian Independence Day,” with several cities across Canada raising the Palestinian flag on Monday.

The flag-raising follows Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recognition of a “Palestinian state” back in July.

The prime minister had given a list of conditions that required a “commitment” from the Palestinian Authority to introduce reforms, hold an election, demilitarize the new state, and exclude Hamas from any governance role.

However, he officially recognized a Palestinian state before any of his stated conditions were ultimately met.

Jewish community groups and some Conservatives criticized the move at the time, saying Canada’s recognition of a Palestinian state rewarded Hamas, a listed terrorist group in Canada, for the terrorist attack it led on October 7, 2023, in Israel.