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The Ford government is seeking a last-minute injunction to block a demonstration relating to the conflict in the Middle East, which is set to be held in downtown Toronto on Saturday.
The annual Al-Quds Day protest is scheduled to take place outside the United States consulate. It is held on the last Friday of Ramadan and described by organizers as “a global day against imperialist and Zionist war and aggression.”
Toronto police have already moved to restrict airspace above the demonstration and planned to send specialist officers to the scene to ” help reduce tensions.”
Now, Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he has instructed his Attorney General, Doug Downey, to file an injunction to have the protest banned altogether.
“This demonstration is nothing more than a breeding ground for hate and antisemitism,” the premier alleged in a video. “It glorifies violence; it celebrates terrorism. It has no place in Ontario, it has no place in Canada.”
Global News contacted the organizers, but did not hear back ahead of publication.
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In the caption to a recent video posted on their Instagram page, backers described the event as a day of protest around the world.
“Every year in commemoration of Al-Quds Day, people around the globe pour into the streets to stand for justice in support of Palestinians and all oppressed people,” they wrote.
“It is a global day against imperialist and Zionist war and aggression – a day of solidarity and unity for Palestine, Iran, Lebanon, and beyond – uplifting the peoples’ right to liberation, sovereignty, and self-determination.”
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association said it was “deeply troubled” by the government’s move.
“Pre-emptively shutting down an entire protest that has not even started, though, is a sweeping attack on freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly – two pillars of a free and democratic society,” the group wrote in a statement.
“While freedom of expression is not absolute, dissenting expression and unpopular speech are protected by the Charter. It is not up to the state to be the arbiter of what is and isn’t acceptable protest speech – especially not pre-emptively.”
The demonstration is currently planned to begin around noon on Saturday, and the provincial government hopes to have its injunction request heard as early as Friday evening.
“Over the past few weeks, I’ve been disgusted and appalled by the hatred and violence taking place in our country,” Ford said.
“We’ve seen synagogues and consulates shot at, we’ve seen entire communities targeted and intimidated, and just yesterday, right across the border, we’ve seen a hatred few of us can even imagine.”
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