Pro-Palestinian activists banging drums and calling for an intifada on Feb. 12 reportedly prevented passengers from entering Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, a potential crime.
The Jewish hospital founded in 1923 saw demonstrators chanting and advocating for Hamas in a protest that has resulted in multiple police investigations. Video from the event showed one protester climbing a hospital wall, Palestinian flag in hand.
Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, called the rally reprehensible. “I strongly condemn this display of antisemitism,” he said. “In Toronto and across Canada, we stand with Jewish communities against this hate.”
Dr. Raghu Venugopal, who covers emergencies at Mount Sinai, stated that “it is against federal criminal law to protest in front of hospitals, blocking access, impeding health-care workers or patients.”
Venugopal called for Canadians to “observe the decency to allow hospital workers and patients to access all hospitals, regardless of whether they have a Jewish or Catholic or any kind of identity, because these grounds are hallowed grounds.”
House of Commons member Marco Mendicino said targeting the hospital “to incite intifada against Israel and the Jewish people is flagrantly antisemitic, and undermines the health and safety of the patients and medical professionals who work there.”
