‘The law will be enforced swiftly and decisively’: Toronto police share plan for Al-Quds rally

Toronto Police provide an update on their plan for Saturday's Al-Quds rally, as tensions around the annual demonstration are running high.

Toronto police say that they have a “specific plan” in place to protect the U.S. Consulate amid an Al-Quds Day rally planned for the downtown core this weekend.

Supt. Craig Young, who oversees Emergency Management and Public Order for the Toronto Police Service, made the comment during a news conference on Thursday as he detailed policing plans for the annual demonstration.

“We have stepped up our resources around the United States Consulate. We do have a have a specific plan in place for Saturday to protect the U.S. Consulate and I will leave it at that for now,” he said.

An Instagram post notes that the demonstration will begin at 3 p.m. outside the consulate on University Avenue. The demonstration, which is being organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement, comes comes just days after two suspects opened fire on the U.S. Consulate. The RCMP has described that shooting as a “national security incident” and has stepped up security around the consulate as the investigation continues.

Speaking with reporters on Thursday, police said that they are aware that counter demonstrators are likely to be present on Saturday and are taking a number of steps to ensure public safety.

“Our initial estimates were around 3,000 (people), but given the geopolitical tensions and the situation around the world, we anticipate that there may be a few more,” Young noted.

Police said that their “major incident command centre” will be activated for the weekend rally as tensions surrounding the annual pro-Palestinian demonstration are running higher than usual this year following violence targeting synagogues in the Greater Toronto Area and the shooting at the U.S. Consulate earlier this week.

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Police say their focus will be maintaining public order while ensuring demonstrators and counter-protesters can safely exercise their rights.

They are also warning residents that there may be temporary road closures or disruptions in parts of the downtown core while this event is underway.

“Our priority, as always, is to ensure the safety of everyone involved, including the participants, counter protesters, residents, visitors and our officers,” Young said.

He explained the command centre will allow police to monitor developments and coordinate resources in real time.

Heightened tensions in the GTA

Police said they are working with municipal, provincial and federal partners, along with intelligence agencies, to monitor potential risks tied to the demonstration.

Young acknowledged that international developments and recent violence in the GTA have heightened concerns across the city.

“Developments in the Middle East, including recent military actions involving Iran, have increased emotions and sensitivities within many communities here in Toronto,” he said.

“Within the last two weeks, there has been violence targeting three synagogues in the GTA, as well as the attack on the United States consulate on Tuesday. These incidents have heightened concerns and contributed to a greater sense of fear and unease in the city.”

Councillor asks city to stop rally

In a video posted on social media, Coun. Brad Bradford called on the city to stop the planned rally by filing an injunction in court.

“It has been an event that unfortunately has been associated with hate and potentially violence for many years and we just cannot afford that in the City of Toronto right now,” Bradford said.

“Safety of our residents, all our residents, is paramount and it’s time we take urgent action to protect everybody.”

A spokesperson for the City of Toronto told CTV News that the city does not issue permits for demonstrations on publicly accessible city property.

Restricted airspace, no drones

Police say restricted airspace will also be in effect around the U.S. Consulate throughout the weekend.

“There will be restricted airspace above and around the United States consulate this weekend… this restriction applies to all drone operations, including those people operating micro drones,” Young said.

Authorities warned that criminal behaviour during the demonstration will be investigated and could lead to charges even after the event ends.

“We will be actively monitoring for any incidents involving hate speech, hate motivated crimes, hateful signage or the display of symbols associated with terrorist organizations… Any repetition will be investigated,” Young said.

“Evidence gathered during or after an event can lead to charges being laid hours, days or even weeks later.”

Young also urged demonstrators and counter-protesters to behave lawfully.

“Interfering with our officers, obstructing police duties or engaging in violence will not be tolerated. Anyone who engages in criminal behavior can expect that the law will be enforced swiftly and decisively,” he said.

Al-Quds Day demonstrations began in Iran during the 1979 Islamic Revolution and are held annually in cities around the world.

Jewish advocacy groups have condemned the rallies as antisemitic.

In a statement to CTV News Toronto, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs urged authorities to take strong measures to ensure public safety during demonstrations planned across Canada.

“This is happening at a time when CSIS is warning about terrorist threats posed by the Iranian regime,” the organization said. “In this dangerous environment, Canadian authorities must use every tool available to ensure public safety and protect the public from harm.”