Toronto police say they will increase their presence in downtown this weekend in anticipation of more than a dozen demonstrations. Police leader James Ramer says he has heard concerns about possible rhetoric of hatred and confrontation between participants in a demonstration for Al Kundz’s day scheduled for Saturday afternoon and those opposed to the event. Al-Quds Day is an annual demonstration of support for the Palestinians and opposition to Israel. Ramer says hate crime police officers will be on the ground to gather evidence to investigate suspected hate crimes, hate speech or signaling. He says police will add more cameras and deploy officers who speak “different languages” to record what is being said among the crowds during the protests. Ramer says the force supports peaceful protest, but will not tolerate intimidation, harassment or hate speech motivated by targeting specific communities. He also says that the police will not allow political disobedience or violence for hate behavior that goes beyond the limits of crime and that anyone who commits these acts will have to wait to be arrested and prosecuted. Ramer says police expect none of the demonstrations to be linked to the “Rolling Thunder” demonstrations in Ottawa. He says there will be static and escalating closed roads in downtown Toronto, but that they will not be similar to those implemented during truck escort demonstrations in the winter.
