Toronto Police Urged to Enforce Hate Crime Laws at Al-Quds Rally
In a recent column, Warren Kinsella has called for immediate action from the Toronto Police Service regarding the display of antisemitic signs at the al-Quds rally held in Toronto on Saturday, March 14, 2026. The event, which has drawn criticism for its promotion of hatred, featured professionally made signs depicting derogatory and violent imagery targeting Jews, with uniformed police officers present but not intervening.
Disturbing Imagery on Display
The signs at the rally included depictions of Orthodox Jewish men in a feral and exaggerated manner, with one sign showing a weeping Jew begging for salvation and another featuring rats crawling in and out of a Jewish Star of David. A woman held a sign in Arabic that read, "We will knock on the gates of heaven with the skulls of Zionists," directly targeting Jewish individuals. These images, described as large and impossible to miss, were observed by attendees and law enforcement alike.
Kinsella draws a stark comparison to historical propaganda, noting that Nazi figures like Joseph Goebbels and Adolf Hitler used similar antisemitic imagery as a "spiritual weapon for war." He references Hitler's establishment of the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda in 1933, which produced images akin to those seen in Toronto. The al-Quds rally, initiated in 1979 by Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, has a history of promoting hatred, with Khomeini once calling Jews "godless, bloodsucking Zionists."
Legal Framework and Inaction
Despite efforts by Toronto Councillors Brad Bradford and James Pasternak, along with Premier Doug Ford, to seek an injunction to stop the event, Ontario Superior Court Justice Robert Centa refused, citing "insufficient evidence." This decision is questioned given the rally's track record of unlawful activities, including:
- Acts of intimidation and assaults
- Vandalism and rioting
- Failure to disperse and obstruction of justice
- Wilful promotion of hatred
The Criminal Code of Canada defines hate propaganda to include "any writing, sign or visible representation" that promotes hatred against an identifiable group, such as Jews. The Supreme Court of Canada has emphasized the substantial harm from hate propaganda, noting it can cause pain and lead to racial, ethnic, and religious tension or violence. Hate crimes are not protected under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, making enforcement a legal obligation.
Calls for Immediate Action
Kinsella argues that Toronto Police must now identify individuals who held the Nazi-inspired signs and pursue charges for the promotion of hatred. With policing as a municipal responsibility and prosecutions under provincial jurisdiction, he urges Ontario's Attorney General to approve swift prosecutions. He criticizes Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow for her lack of action amid rising antisemitism, including recent synagogue attacks, calling her response "an utter disgrace." In contrast, he acknowledges Ford's government but stresses the need for immediate approval of hate promotion charges.
As Israeli President Isaac Herzog has stated, "all eyes are on Canada," highlighting the international scrutiny. Kinsella warns that failure to act will result in unfavorable judgment from both the world and history. His upcoming book, The Hidden Hand: The Information War and the Rise of Antisemitic Propaganda, is set for publication next month by Penguin Random House, underscoring the ongoing relevance of this issue.
