Two Toronto men have been arrested and are facing charges of uttering threats and assaulting a peace officer following a widely criticized anti-Israel protest in downtown Toronto last month.
Amro Saeed Ahmad Abufarick, 19, and Malek Said Ahma Abufarick, 34, have been arrested and charged in connection with the
Dec. 17 protest in Eaton Centre, the Toronto Police Service (TPS) said in
a Jan. 21 press release.The two men blocked a store entrance and prevented employees from closing the store, according to the press release. When police tried to remove the protestors from the area, one man pushed an officer, while the other struck another officer using an umbrella and made verbal threats.
In a
video of the protest widely circulated online, a man with his face covered in a mask and keffiyeh says in the presence of several uniformed police officers: “I’m telling you, if you touch me, I’m putting you on the floor... I will lay you to sleep, I’ll put you six feet deep.”
The TPS identified the two men and the Hate Crime Unit executed a search warrant on Jan. 20.
Mr. Abufarick was charged with uttering threats and being a member of an unlawful assembly while masked. Both men were charged with unlawful assembly, mischief interfering with property, and assault of a peace officer. They both made their first court appearance on Jan. 21.
Protests and Criticism
The video of the protester uttering death threats in police presence at the shopping centre drew
criticism from MPs, who called on the police to ramp up law enforcement.
“Canadians live in a country where laws are supposed to be followed and police are supposed to enforce the law,” Liberal MP Anthony Housefather
said on the social media platform X on Dec. 17. He
added a separate post the next day, saying, “Police chiefs, mayors and provincial and federal authorities need to all make clear to all officers that police should enforce laws as regards incitement and threats at demonstrations.”
The incident at Eaton Centre was one of several anti-Jewish protests held across Canada since Israel conducted counterattacks in response to the terrorist group Hamas’ surprise attack on the country on Oct. 7. Canada has designated Hamas a “terrorist organization.”
Police have raised alarm about the escalating protests which have resulted in large-scale disruptions, including cases where demonstrators blocked roads and led to the
shutdown of highway overpasses. Similar protests have raised additional public security concerns, as some protesters disrupted a
school board meeting in Ontario and forced a recess at the
Saskatchewan Legislature.
“As a reminder, the Service respects people’s right to demonstrate lawfully, but anyone whose behaviour crosses the line from lawful demonstration to criminality can be arrested,” the TPS said in the press release.
“Just because someone is not issued a charge at the time does not mean that they cannot be laid at a later date. Officers will continue to investigate, gather evidence, and determine whether charges are appropriate.”
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, a Jewish rights advocacy group, said the “serious charges” against the men “reflect the growing extremism, hate, and risks to public safety we’re seeing at anti-Israel protests.”
“This isn’t just about the clear threat to Toronto’s Jewish community,” the group said in a
Jan. 21 X post. “It’s about the kind of society we want to live in. People should be able to shop at a mall without being screamed at or witnessing assaults. We appreciate the diligent work of police to investigate this serious incident and hold those responsible accountable.”
In a separate incident, Toronto Police arrested 41-year-old Maged Sameh Hilal Al Khalaf on
Jan. 11 and charged him with public incitement of hatred in connection with what police describe as a “terrorist flag” being displayed during a demonstration in the city’s downtown. In a Jan. 12 emailed statement, a TPS spokesperson confirmed that the flag was that of the “
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine,” an organization listed as a terrorist group by Public Safety Canada.
Isaac Teo contributed to this report.
