Toronto police have prohibited protests on residential streets near Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue, where anti-Israel demonstrators and counter-protesters have regularly gathered since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre and Jerusalem’s ensuing multi-front war against Iran and its regional terrorist proxies.
The directive, announced by Inspector Israel Bernardo and confirmed by the Toronto Police Service on Monday, is a “targeted response to specific concerns” aimed at reducing risks of escalation and maintaining public safety, police spokesperson Stephanie Sayer said in a statement to the Toronto Star.
The decision drew mixed reactions. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs welcomed the move, crediting coordinated advocacy with UJA Federation of Greater Toronto and B’nai Brith Canada for pushing authorities to enforce the law.
“This is a meaningful step—but it must be matched with consistent enforcement and protection for our community,” the group said on X.
Pressure works.
— CIJA (@CIJAinfo) March 22, 2026
Following our joint letter with @UJAFederation and @BnaiBrithCanada, and our organized effort with thousands of people contacting decisionmakers to call for enforcement of the law, Toronto Police have now stated that protests will not be permitted in residential… https://t.co/msHBZeHwgM
HonestReporting Canada criticized the timing, accusing police of inaction for more than two years.
“You could have done this a long time ago, but made a choice not to,” the media watchdog wrote.
Are Jews supposed to be grateful for this @TorontoPolice, after literally doing nothing for two and a half years?
— HonestReporting Canada (@HonestRepCanada) March 24, 2026
You could have done this a long time ago, but made a choice not to. @torontostar https://t.co/DzJEkQ8FiW pic.twitter.com/4XQe7YM8jr
Lawyer and political satirist Caryma Sa’d first reported the new directive Sunday on X, where she covers protests and political activism in Canada.
North York’s Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue area is a central Toronto neighborhood with a large Jewish population and many community institutions.
Antisemitic caricatures of Jews were displayed at a Bathurst and Sheppard protest on March 15, drawing strong condemnation from the local organized Jewish community. Groups including B’nai Brith Canada, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and UJA Federation of Greater Toronto said the signs were “reminiscent of Nazi incitement” and dehumanized Jews, calling on police to lay hate charges.
Toronto police said that they were investigating whether the imagery constituted hate propaganda under the Criminal Code.
Anti-Israel demonstrators staged an unlicensed rally at a busy shopping mall and office complex in downtown Toronto on Dec. 26, 2025—Boxing Day—with some chanting “We demand an intifada” into megaphones. Police arrested no one at the Eaton Centre rally.
