Incitement to hatred in Toronto: 8 defendants waved antisemitic signs in the heart of a Jewish neighborhood
"If depicting Jews as vermin and calls for the destruction of the Jewish state do not cross the threshold of Canadian laws - what does?", protested the country's Jewish organizations. The signs were described as antisemitic caricatures reminiscent of Nazi propaganda - and the demonstration where they were waved took place at a time when synagogues in the city had already been targets of gunfire.
Toronto police arrested two additional suspects this past weekend on suspicion of participating in a demonstration where antisemitic signs were displayed in front of Israel supporters in the heart of the city's Jewish area. The two detainees, 40-year-old Daniela Bonamico and 63-year-old Shahram Nayeb-Yazdi, join six other individuals already arrested in the case, bringing the total number of defendants to eight. Both are charged with the willful promotion of hatred and public incitement to hatred.
On Friday, August 7, officers from the Toronto Police Hate Crime Unit arrested the pair while executing a search warrant. The following day, they appeared in court for bail hearings.
The demonstration took place on March 15 at the intersection of Bathurst and Sheppard streets in North Toronto, an area with a large Jewish population. According to police, the suspects brought antisemitic signs to the protest, displayed them to the public and pro-Israel demonstrators, and shouted insults. The timing and location caused significant shock, as city synagogues were already being targeted by gunfire at the time.
"If depicting Jews as vermin and calls for the destruction of the Jewish state do not cross the threshold of Canadian laws against hate propaganda - what does?", asked representatives from CIJA, B'nai Brith Canada, and UJA Toronto, who demanded police action.
While the police did not release the text of the signs, the Simon Wiesenthal Center for Friends in Canada, which filed the initial complaint, stated the materials included antisemitic caricatures intended to dehumanize Jews, reminiscent of Nazi-era propaganda.
The investigation began in April with the arrest of 33-year-old Mohammed Anas Sial. Five others were arrested two months later: Husam Al-Madani, Omar Turkan, Yasef Skaih, Hassan Aydin, and Syed Hussaini. Three of these individuals also face charges of concealing their identity with the intent to commit an offense.
Authorities noted that charges of willful promotion of hatred are among the most serious in Canadian law and require the consent of the Attorney General. The investigation remains ongoing.
This incident occurred amid a series of antisemitic attacks in Canada, including gunfire directed at synagogues in Thornhill and North York. In one such event, unknown individuals opened fire on the main entrance of the Beth Avraham Yosef of Toronto (BAYT) synagogue in Thornhill late Friday night before fleeing in a vehicle. No injuries were reported.
