{"id":595813,"date":"2026-08-25T19:32:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T19:32:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/595813\/"},"modified":"2026-08-25T19:32:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T19:32:13","slug":"toronto-police-launch-hate-crime-investigation-over-rally-anti-semitism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/595813\/","title":{"rendered":"Toronto police launch hate crime investigation over rally anti-Semitism"},"content":{"rendered":"

New video footage has emerged from a pro-Palestinian demonstration in the Jewish neighborhood of Toronto\u2019s Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue West intersection, where a speaker called for the annihilation of Israelis<\/a> and invoked violent rhetoric against the Jewish community.<\/p>\n

Earlier in the week, footage circulated on social media from Sunday\u2019s demonstration by the same speaker, who said that Zionists rape, kill, and eat children, as well as invoking other conspiracy theories.<\/p>\n

The videos were shared on social media by Leviathan, an X\/Twitter account dedicated to naming \u201cJihadis, Antisemites<\/a>, Anarchists & other threats. Using OSINT to notify for Public Interest\u201d in Canada, which identifies the speaker as a Toronto-based university instructor and faculty lecturer named Abbas Hamze.<\/p>\n

Leviathan shared two additional videos from last weekend\u2019s speech on X on Monday evening.<\/p>\n

In the newly surfaced videos, the speaker addresses the crowd through a megaphone: \u201cThe clock is ticking; those Israelis on the other side of the street, we will tell you that your passports are no longer available. They will expire soon; they will be useless. You are the most kicked-out people; the Zionists are the most kicked-out people for their mischief. For raping children, killing children, exerting magic, black magic. And we saw this clearly at the Epstein island, so we will tell you: Your mischief will cause you annihilation, and it\u2019s coming soon! And as is prophesied, it will be from the north; from the resistance in Lebanon, your annihilation will be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AA screenshot of Abbas Hamze giving an antisemitic speach inciting to ”break the necks” of Jews. (credit: Screenshot\/X\/Leviathan)<\/p>\n

The speaker further declared, \u201cAnd two days ago was the martyrdom of Imam Hasan al-Askari, who proved first as the imam who will break your neck and spread justice around the world as you have spread corruption everywhere!\u201d<\/p>\n

An Islamist battle cry to murder Jews<\/p>\n

He then chanted the 7th-century battle phrase \u201cKhaybar Khaybar, ya yahud, jaish Muhammad saya\u2019ud,\u201d a historical reference to the military defeat of a Jewish community in Arabia. Leviathan described the chant in the post accompanying the video as \u201ca battle cry to murder Jews.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), B\u2019nai Brith Canada<\/a>, and Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center issued a joint public statement on Monday, condemning the remarks made in the video that surfaced earlier this week and calling for a police investigation into the matter.<\/p>\n

The organizations declared in a statement on social media, \u201cWhat happened at Bathurst and Sheppard this weekend was blatant antisemitism. An individual who is reportedly a university instructor stood in a Jewish neighborhood and repeated some of the oldest and most vile lies and conspiracy theories about Jews, accusing Jews of using \u2018black magic,\u2019 raping, murdering, and eating children. These are antisemitic blood libels that have been used for centuries to justify hatred and violence against Jews.\u201d<\/p>\n

The joint statement also underscored the ongoing friction at the location, noting, \u201cFor far too long, Bathurst and Sheppard has been a regular site of antisemitic harassment, intimidation, and provocation, too often under the guise of anti-Zionism.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have seen how anti-Israel hate is being used to legitimize hostility toward Jewish Canadians, with increasingly dangerous consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Demanding law enforcement action, the groups asserted, \u201cToronto Police must investigate this incident and, where the law has been broken, charges must follow. There must be consequences for those who repeatedly use public demonstrations as cover to spread hatred [and] incitement and [to] target Toronto\u2019s Jewish community.\u201d<\/p>\n

In response to the call and the surfacing evidence, the Toronto Police Service announced that its Hate Crime Unit has launched a formal investigation into the incident.<\/p>\n

Richard Robertson, Director of Research and Advocacy at B’nai Brith Canada, said in a statement to the Jerusalem Post, “The information that continues to become available about the antisemitic incident at Bathurst and Sheppard has only confirmed that what occurred was a grotesque example of how anti-Israel protests in Canada are devolving into forums where hate is being openly incited and wilfully promoted.<\/p>\n

“We are relieved to learn that the incident is now being investigated by police. Sunday’s events must serve as a lesson; hate is being normalized on our streets, and there must be zero tolerance for those who abuse our rights and freedoms to engage in criminal activity. Those responsible for promoting and inciting hate must be thoroughly investigated and held accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Richard Robertson, B\u2019nai Brith Canada\u2019s director of Research and Advocacy, said in a statement to The Jerusalem Post, \u201cThe information that continues to become available about the antisemitic incident at Bathurst and Sheppard has only confirmed that what occurred was a grotesque example of how anti-Israel protests in Canada are devolving into forums where hate is being openly incited and willfully promoted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are relieved to learn that the incident is now being investigated by police,\u201d Richardson said.<\/p>\n

Hate is being normalized,\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSunday\u2019s events must serve as a lesson; hate is being normalized on our streets, and there must be zero tolerance for those who abuse our rights and freedoms to engage in criminal activity. Those responsible for promoting and inciting hate must be thoroughly investigated and held accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n

After sharing the most recent videos, Leviathan posted on X, \u201cBased off several witnesses who attend these targeted protests against the Jewish neighborhood, Dr. Abbas Hamza has made these speeches every single week in front of @TorontoPolice Hate Crimes Unit for at least the past several months. The only reason Toronto Police seem to be acting is that this was captured on video with clear audio, and the post went viral. No community should be faced with this constant incitement week in and week out, let alone the police allowing it and only act[ing] when it gets too much attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a separate post on X from May, Leviathan wrote, citing alleged social media posts by Hamze: \u201cAbbas Hamze also calls for the kidnapping of Israeli hostages, stating that \u2018Hamas has the right to take hostages on October 7th 2023\u2019 while also claiming, \u2018Hezbollah has the right to assist Hamas on October 8th.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Referring to accompanying screenshots alleged to be from Hamze\u2019s social media posts, Leviathan added, \u201cAbbas Hamze has also been pictured holding up flags of the Islamic Republic of Iran in this Jewish neighborhood while also writing, \u201cWe will continue the path of Imam Khamenei, no matter how many sacrifices [there] are, and his pure blood will bear the inevitable victory.\u201d<\/p>\n

The demonstration took place amid heightened tensions surrounding recurring protests at the Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue West intersection. These regular rallies in the heavily Jewish residential neighborhood have drawn intense community concern and scrutiny, leading to multiple police interventions and the recent arrest of activists, including two individuals detained by law enforcement on charges that included the willful promotion of hatred and public incitement of hatred.<\/p>\n

That ongoing hate propaganda investigation stems from earlier demonstrations when suspects allegedly retrieved antisemitic signs from a storage locker before marching toward counter-protesters while shouting derogatory slurs.<\/p>\n

This rhetoric also unfolds against a broader national surge in antisemitic attacks targeting Jewish and Israeli institutions across Canada in recent months.<\/p>\n

According to tracking data and reports released by advocacy groups such as B\u2019nai Brith Canada and CIJA, violent offenses have risen sharply, marked by high-profile episodes such as targeted shootings and vandalism at Jewish-owned commercial establishments like Toronto\u2019s Kiva\u2019s Bagel Bar locations, gunfire incidents directed at Jewish schools, and a suspected arson attack targeting the kosher restaurant N\u00f6am in Montreal<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"New video footage has emerged from a pro-Palestinian demonstration in the Jewish neighborhood of Toronto\u2019s Bathurst Street and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":595814,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[108,11012,111,250160,85,9151,103898,46,43,19053,90143,98],"class_list":["post-595813","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-israel","tag-anti-israel","tag-anti-zionism","tag-antisemitism","tag-bnai-brit","tag-il","tag-islam","tag-islamism","tag-israel","tag-news","tag-pro-palestinian-protests","tag-radicalization","tag-terrorism"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/595813","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=595813"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/595813\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/595814"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=595813"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=595813"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=595813"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}