Item - 2026.MM39.82

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

1. City Council condemn hate speech, including hateful chants and playing of hateful recordings at protests and rallies in the City of Toronto.

2. 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 A) to Prime Minister Carney and Premier Ford, advocating for a sustainable funding model uniquely for Toronto which supports police and other front line emergency workers whose job it is to respond and serve at protests across Toronto, which have increased in number and frequency in response to international issues and because Toronto is Canada’s largest city.

3. City Council support the objectives of correspondence (see Attachment B) 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 and request the Toronto Transit Commission to prepare and action a rapid response graffiti removal plan.

4. City Council request the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, to ensure sufficient staffing is available to respond to noise amplification complaints at protests and rallies.

5. City Council request the City Manager, in coordination with the City Solicitor, to review all policy frameworks directed by Council to combat hate and to outline the necessary steps that could be taken to enhance the city’s actions by developing policy from these frameworks, and arrange an operational briefing for members of Council on the City’s response to hate speech in the public domain, what legal tools are available to take action against hate in the public domain, and any interim actions taken in response to hate in the public domain especially in neighbourhoods.

6. City Council request the Toronto Police Service Board request an operational briefing from the Chief of Police on actions taken in response to hate speech in the public domain and hate crimes, and provide an interim report on the actions taken in response to Toronto Police Service Board Item P2026 – 0113 – 6.0.

7. City Council forward this item to the Toronto Police Service 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 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 at 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.

Reason for Urgency:

Reminder: This matter is urgent as it relates to an ongoing and urgent public safety concern.