Item - 2026.MM39.62

Councillor James Pasternak, seconded by Councillor Michael Thompson, recommends that:

1. City Council condemn any and all hateful chants and the playing of hateful recorded music at protests and rallies in the City of Toronto.

2. City Council express its support of the correspondence (see Attachment A) dated December 30, 2025, by the Solicitor General of Ontario to the Chief of Toronto Police Service and the Chair of the Toronto Police Service Board.

3. City Council support Toronto Police Service Board Item 6 motion adopted by the Board on January 13, 2026 (see Attachment B).

4. City Council express its support of correspondence dated March 9, 2026 from the Toronto Police Association, the Toronto Professional Firefighters Association and Toronto Civic Employees’ Union - Local 416 (see Attachment C) to Prime Minister Carney and Premier Ford, advocating for a sustainable funding model which supports police and other front line emergency workers who have been impacted by endless protests across Toronto since October 2023.

5. City Council support the objectives of correspondence (see Attachment D) from the former interim Chief Executive Officer of the Toronto Transit Commission to the Chief of Police dated November 26, 2024, regarding hateful graffiti appearing on Toronto Transit Commission vehicles and other property.

6. City Council request the Toronto Police Service Board to review its responsibilities and progress under the Hate Sponsored Rallies Policy adopted by Council on May 14 and 15, 2019, and report back to City Council by July 2026.

7. City Council request the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, to ensure sufficient resources are available to respond noise amplification complaints.

8. City Council request the City Solicitor to report to Council by July 2026 with an update on item 2023.MM12.28, Hate Speech and Other Hate Activities, adopted by City Council on November 8 and 9, 2023, and what legal tools are available to take action against hateful protests in the public domain.

9. City Council request the City Manager to action item 2024.CC24.2 Policy Framework - City Response to Demonstrations, adopted by City Council on December 17 and 18, 2024, and report on City of Toronto protests and rallies policy to City Council by July 2026.

10. City Council request the City Manager to review the City of Toronto Hate Sponsored Rallies (see Attachment E) policy adopted by Council on May 14 and 15, 2019, and provide progress reports to City Council of measures taken under this policy by July, 2026.

11. City Council request the Toronto Police Services Board and the City Manager to provide to City Council by July 2026 remarks, feedback, steps taken and any response and feedback from other governments based on item 2025.MM35.35 adopted by Council on December 16 and 17, 2025, which requested the creation of a combined “Federal, Provincial and Municipal Law enforcement Task force to Combat Antisemitism and other Acts of Hate and Terror.” 

12. City Council forward this item to the Toronto Police Services Board, the Office of the Solicitor General of Ontario, the Attorney General of Ontario, the Attorney General of Canada and the Minister of Public Safety of Canada.

On or about September 2024 anti-Israel demonstrators arrived at the intersection of Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue. They were mostly on the northeast corner. This is a predominantly Jewish neighbourhood. There are no government buildings, no consulates, no embassies and no city squares. Since that time, these demonstrators have used noise amplification systems to harass, demonize and provoke the Jewish community holding a vigil on the west side of Bathurst Street. On occasion, the anti-Israel protestors wander through the local neighbourhood and harassing local residents. They have called for the destruction of Israel, globalizing the Intifada, and making hateful and derogatory remarks about Jews.

By November 2025, those praying and singing for the release of the Israeli hostages held by the terror group Hamas had departed, and yet the anti-Israel demonstrators continue to arrive every Sunday afternoon. They have damaged the local business climate and have put an unreasonable burden on police resources. Dozens of local residents have signed victim impact statements based on the hateful chants and harassment by the demonstrators. This would not be accepted in any other minority neighbourhood. Ours is a city seeking moral clarity. The city is a crossroads. In 2024, there were 443 hate crime occurrences reported to Toronto Police Service. This was a 19 percent increase over the 372 occurrences reported in 2023 and an 80 percent increase over reported occurrences in 2022. The most frequently targeted communities were the Jewish, 2SLGBTQ+, Black, and Muslim communities. Assaults against LGBTQ+ rose by 42 percent in 2024. Letting this mayhem and lawlessness endure at Bathurst and Sheppard means the “rule of law” has broken down, and the Charter rights of local residents and businesses are not upheld. This trend of hate crimes and the mayhem at Bathurst and Sheppard is a dangerous precedent for the entire city. We need to restore Toronto’s reputation as one of respect, safety and tolerance and our diverse populations.