Toronto councillor urges OPP to block protests on highway
Toronto city councillor James Pasternak is calling on the Ontario Provincial Police to prevent what he calls an “illegal protest” planned this week on overpasses along 400-series highways.
Toronto city councillor James Pasternak is calling on the Ontario Provincial Police to prevent what he calls an “illegal protest” planned this week on overpasses along 400-series highways.
Pasternak, who represents Ward 6, York Centre, issued a statement Wednesday urging law enforcement to act preemptively against what he called a “dangerous distraction” on some of Canada’s busiest transportation corridors.
“Hateful demonstrators are intending to block traffic at a number of highway overpasses throughout the region,” Pasternak said. “These acts are reprehensible and constitute a dangerous distraction on one of Canada’s busiest routes.”
The protest is expected to begin at 8:30 a.m. Thursday at multiple highway overpasses.
The date, May 15, marks Nakba Day—an annual day of protest and remembrance for Palestinians. While Pasternak’s statement did not name the group organizing the protest or specify the cause, it was clearly referencing the wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrations held across Canada in recent months, which he described as “hateful.”
Pasternak warned that the protest poses serious safety risks by deliberately distracting drivers travelling at high speeds, potentially leading to accidents, injuries, or fatalities.
“This form of activism is extremely dangerous because its primary purpose is to distract drivers operating cars at speeds of up to 120 km/h or more,” he said.
Pasternak pointed to existing legislation, including Regulation 627 of Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act, which prohibits pedestrians from accessing controlled-access roadways as justification for calling on police intervention to block the protest from happening.
“Anyone who violates this provision should be charged with mischief under section 430 of the Criminal Code of Canada,” Pasternak said.
The councillor emphasized that critical infrastructure such as highways must be protected from disruptions that put motorists at risk and compromise public order.
The Ontario Provincial Police did not respond in time to a request for comment on whether they plan to intervene in the protest.
Pasternak is also Jewish and has spoken publicly of his experiences being targeted for his pro-Israel views.
In 2012, he led an initiative to defund Toronto Pride over the inclusion of the group Queers Against Israeli Apartheid, citing what he described as the group’s anti-Israel messaging.
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The Jews peacefully settled in Israel, the only country they ever had as a people - about the size of New Jersey. Many Arab countries in the neighborhood didn't like that, so they collectively attacked the small Jewish population and tried to wipe/drive them out.
Well those Arabs lost the battle and have been playing the victim ever since.
if their refugees they ae not a citazen if landed imagrent they are not citazens and should all be deported for bring the war here when they could have stayed there and do there fightning there!!! but they know that our goverment is too scared to stand up and protect the citazens of our country but if acutual citazens of chinada did protest we be meet with night sticks , teargas, and trampled by the R,C,M,P,s MUSICAL RIDE !! REMEMBER OTTAWA!!!