Hundreds rally at Queen’s Park in solidarity with Jewish community

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TORONTO — Hundreds of people gathered outside Queen’s Park on Sunday to stand in solidarity with the Jewish community amid skyrocketing antisemitism.

Organized by Canadian Women Against Antisemitism (CWAA), the event came against the backdrop of International Women’s Month aimed at highlighting the need for “women of all nationalities and religions” to “send a message that hatred has no place in Canada.”

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The rally featured over a dozen Jewish and non-Jewish speakers sharing stories about antisemitism, most of which occurred after Oct. 7. The experiences of Jewish students on campus were particularly harrowing and resonated with the diverse crowd, drawing applause.

Laura Barkel, a senior at Toronto Metropolitan University, told National Post that she was spat on by pro-Palestinian demonstrators on campus since Oct. 7. On another occasion, a protester pulled her shoulder and said, “Too bad Hitler didn’t finish his job, or you disgusting Zionists wouldn’t be alive today.” She confided that she is now known as the campus “Zionist.”

Another fourth-year student, Shira Litvack, dropped out of her final year at the University of Ottawa after repeated death threats following activism on campus. Litvack told the Post that her complaints “fell on deaf ears” with the administration prompting her to leave the school. “I think the hardest part for me: I’m a university dropout who doesn’t want to be a university dropout.”

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Litvack shared how much she enjoyed her program, gender studies, but that Ottawa’s cold shoulder to antisemitism in its  midst ruined her ability to learn in a safe environment. “I almost feel like that was stolen from me, because I deserve to have a normal education,” she said.

“I don’t want to be here; and I’m sure none of these people want to be here. But we have to be here,” Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman told the Post. “What they shouldn’t be doing is exactly what they’ve done this week: passing motions that inflame the situation, holding hands with literal terrorists on the world stage,” the deputy leader of the opposition continued. 

Lantsman condemned the Liberal Party for its unwillingness “to list organizations like the IRGC (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps) as terrorists, and the inability for funding to flow to Jewish institutions or, frankly, any religious institution.” 

The Thornhill representative argued that the demonstration was not just a show of support for the Jewish community, but a broader defence of the country’s foundational values. “This is about Canadian values,” the MP explained. “This is about freedom, about democracy, about the rule of law, and about justice. It is about civilization over barbarism and we cannot choose barbarism in this country.”

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The point was picked up by Deborah Lyons, Canada’s special envoy appointed to combat antisemitism.

“This is a very serious time for Canada. I consider it to be a bit of a crisis time for our democracy, for our national security, and for our Canadian values and what we believe in as Canadians to protect and support one another,” the former Canadian ambassador to Israel told the Post.

Lyons’ view of Canada as a “sanctuary of goodness, respect, and civility” was rocked after Oct. 7 and the displays of antisemitism she has witnessed across the country. “This is unprecedented antisemitism in our country at levels we never expected,” the special envoy continued before correcting herself. “It’s not even the levels; it’s the viciousness of it.”

Her comments came as pro-Palestinian activists met near a Jewish community in midtown Toronto and made specific reference to the demonstration coinciding with the holiday of Purim. “Bring your noisemakers – it’s Purim,” the group encouraged supporters, referencing the Jewish holiday’s use of traditional noisemakers called gragers.

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Another spotted a sign proclaiming, “Long Live the Resistance,” carried by Samidoun, an activist organization linked to the designated terror group the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

Two middle-aged female demonstrators shared Lantsman’s frustrations with the federal government for not taking antisemitism seriously. “The fact that antisemitism is huge and every time there’s an antisemitic act, our politicians have to create a new taskforce on Islamophobia — I’m just really tired of that,” one of the women said as her friend nodded. “The next largest is against the LGBTQ community, and yet all we hear about in the news is Islamophobia. Our government is blind.”

They pointed to the recent announcement by Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw about the force finding hate crimes had nearly doubled since Oct. 7, compared to the same period last year. Over half of all cases (47 incidents) targeted the Jewish community. By comparison, there were five anti-Muslim hate crimes, one more than the identical period in 2023.

In January, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed Amira Elghawaby as the country’s first special representative overseeing Islamophobia.

Conservative MPP Goldie Ghamari was in attendance “to show my support and solidarity,” she told the Post. “I think it’s important that everyone stands up to antisemitism, especially given what’s happening right now in Canada and in Toronto.”

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