Regarding an Update on Enforcement and Implementation of the City of Toronto Hate Sponsored Rallies Policy

On May 14-15, 2019, City Council adopted EX 5.3 Hate Sponsored Rallies. This policy gave the City of Toronto public service and police services the tools they need to discourage and respond to rallies and actions of harassment that demonize and threaten identifiable groups. Since that time there have been incidents of hate, notably roving mobs that have harassed and made threatening actions at members of the Jewish community at cultural events (such as Walk with Israel-May, 2022), synagogues (Or Chaim December 2022 and Shaarei Tifillah, February 2023) and Jewish restaurants (Taste of Israel, July, 2022 in Vaughan). As time goes on, these actions targeting the Jewish community and other groups have become more frequent and menacing. Hate rallies cost the City of Toronto millions of dollars in police services and other ancillary costs, block traffic, including emergency vehicles (full traffic blockage on Yonge Street in January and May, 2022), are in violation of the City of Toronto Anti-Discrimination Policy, permits policy, noise by law policy and various provisions of the Highway Traffic Act. But more important they prevent many from enjoying the peace and security that we value here in Toronto. In the coming weeks, hate rallies are planned in Toronto and beyond. The Al Quds event, which calls for the removal of the Jewish population from Jerusalem, Israel and threatened Jews with harm in the past, is planned on or about April 21, 2023 and another hate rally is planned for May, 2023 to coincide with a Toronto Jewish cultural event (Walk with Israel). Questions for the City Manager, City of Toronto and the Chief of Police, Toronto Police Services Board. What police and city staff responses are planned to enforce the City of Toronto Hate Sponsored Rallies policy either prior to the above mentioned events or in the aftermath should city bylaws, provincial statute or Criminal Code violations take place? Will Toronto police create a Toronto Police Service General Occurrence report for review by the Attorney General of Ontario for the potential prosecution of any hate inspired crimes committed? What actions will city staff take to recover the millions of dollars in costs incurred by the City of Toronto at these illegal events? In the four years since the Hate Sponsored Rallies policy was adopted, have City of Toronto staff issued trespass warning letters or pressed charges under the Trespass Act against any of the leaders or participants in past hate activity on city property?