Two officers were injured and three anti-Israel protesters were arrested after protesters clashed with police outside of a speaking event held by the United Jewish Appeal, a Jewish community charity group.
According to a Toronto Police Services’ news release Thursday afternoon, police charged three individuals at a demonstration outside of Meridian Hall on Wednesday that left two police officers with minor injuries.
The report said police attended the event on Sept. 11, 2024, in the Yonge Street and Front Street East area, where a group of protesters were demonstrating outside of a fundraising event at Meridian Hall.
The UJA-hosted event, “Proudly Jewish: It’s Who We Are,” featured American journalist Bari Weiss, who protesters said shouldn’t have been allowed to speak due to her pro-Israel views. Other speakers included Shira Haas, an Israeli actress, and Rabbi and book author David Wolpe.
Activists from the Palestinian Youth Movement claimed they were protesting the event because it was hosted by the “zionist group UJA” and the “pro-genocide panel platformed zionist mouthpiece Bari Weiss and an IOF soldier.”
Genocide is a specific term used in international law. No international court has found that Israel is guilty of committing genocide in its war against Hamas following the deadly Oct. 7 attacks.
According to the police report, the group of anti-Israel protesters are alleged to have attempted to gain entry to the event before being removed by officers. This led to a combative exchange between police and protesters, with a woman allegedly assaulting an officer.
Police arrested 25-year-old Adham Diabis from Brampton, Ont., a known leader in the PYM. Alleging that the man threw a water bottle at police during the exchange, he was charged with assaulting a police officer and assault with a weapon.
The X user named “Leviathan” shared a video on X of Diabis’ arrest. In the video, it appears that protesters attempted to prevent the arrest, clashing with police.
A video posted to the PYM’s Instagram page Wednesday night shows Diabis on the shoulders of a protester leading the crowd in chants. The group said all of their “comrades” have been released from jail.
The PYM boasts it published the first English edition of avowed Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine member Wiam Rafeedie’s novel The Trinity of Fundamentals. The Marxist-Leninist PFLP is a listed terrorist entity in Canada.
Diabis is scheduled to appear in court at the Ontario Court of Justice on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024.
According to the police report, a 45-year-old woman from Toronto faces a charge of assaulting an officer too. Police allege that Kerry Gauer “became combative and assaulted an officer” as protestors attempted to rush the building hosting the UJA event.
Gauer’s court date is Oct. 17, 2024, at the Ontario Court of Justice.
Laura Favacho, 27, from Toronto, was charged with allegedly assaulting an officer as well after a protest group moved to the 51 TPS division at Parliament Street and Front Street East as part of “jail support” for the others who were arrested.
Favacho is set to have her court hearing at the same time as Diabis at the Ontario Court of Justice.
Groups such as PYM Toronto and Occupy UofT sent out an “urgent” rallying cry following the first slew of arrests for anti-Israel activists to protest outside the jail where their “comrades” were being held.
Occupy UofT organized two-month-long anti-Israel encampment protests at the University of Toronto campus at the beginning of the summer.
Videos shared by Leviathan on X taken from protesters’ live streams show activists taunting police, some with heavy accents telling the police, “F&#k you all!” among other expletives.
Toronto Police are routinely equated to the “IOF,” a name to indicate that the Israeli Defence Forces should be the “Israeli Offence Forces” and the racist Ku Klux Klan at anti-Israel protests.
Another video shows a protester cursing police’s entire families, saying they are all going to hell, the protester saying she has “half a mind to go to hell’ to meet them.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact police at 416-808-3500, or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or www.222tips.com
TPS did not provide True North with further comment.
