Police increase presence in several cities in Canada ahead of Oct. 7 anniversary
Police in several Canadian cities are increasing their presence in preparation for protests and rallies on the anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack in Israel.
The attack saw more than 1,200 Israelis killed and about 240 hostages seized, triggering an Israeli counter-offensive in Gaza that the regional health ministry says has left more than 41,000 dead.
In the year since, thousands of protests have taken place in Canada, with pro-Israeli demonstrators demanding Hamas release the hostages, while pro-Palestinian voices have demanded a ceasefire between the two sides.
Here’s a look at what major cities across Canada expected ahead of Monday’s demonstrations.
Ottawa
In the nation’s capital, the Ottawa Police Service said it’s increasing its presence and patrols around Jewish and Islamic places of worship, as well as community centres.
“We recognize that next week, October 7th, marks the beginning of hostilities. We are closely monitoring the situation and assessing any potential impacts on our local community,” Ottawa Police said in a social media post.
On Sunday, Ottawa’s Jewish community gathered at Parliament Hill to remember the victims and call for the release of the hostages. Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian demonstrators took to the streets Saturday to protest Israel’s military offensive in the Middle East.
Montreal
Montreal Deputy Chief Vincent Richer told reporters last Friday that he’s been in contact with the city’s Jewish and Arab-Muslim communities, and that Montreal’s police force will focus much of its attention on places of worship.
McGill University restricted access to its campuses between Saturday and Monday in anticipation of tensions boiling over. Students at McGill and other post-secondary institutions across North America have set up encampments, demanding their schools cut ties with Israel.
On Monday, Jewish groups will hold a vigil outside the campus between 12:30 and 2 p.m. Around the same time, pro-Palestinian groups will march from Concordia University to McGill’s Roddick Gates.
“I think our demand to the university is very clear,” Hanan Zakari, a member of Students for Palestine’s Honour and Resistance McGill, told CTV News Montreal. “By closing the campus, McGill is insisting on deploying its private mercenaries like they have done to students throughout the summer, and that the university itself is creating a campus of fear.”
More than 340 protests related to the Israel-Hamas war have taken place in Montreal since last October, with police making more than 100 arrests, and dozens being charged with hate crimes.
“We want to make sure that people feel safe in Montreal,” Richer said.
Toronto and rest of GTA
Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw told reporters during a news conference last Wednesday that the department will ramp up its presence on Monday, deploying three mobile command units to three predominantly Jewish neighbourhoods along Bathurst Street, with a fourth deployed to various Toronto mosques.
“As tensions rise around the world and we approach the one-year anniversary of Oct. 7, we know world events always have an impact here at home. This includes the potential for increased protest activity and acts of violence,” Demkiw said.
“The Toronto Police Service will be a visible and reassuring presence for as long as is necessary.”
Since the beginning of 2024, Demkiw says 350 hate-motivated offences have been reported to Toronto police, marking a 40 per cent spike since the same time last year.
North of Toronto, York Regional Police are ramping up their visibility throughout the region on Monday. One mobile unit will travel throughout York Region until Oct. 8, and a stationary unit will be set up in Thornhill.
Police said they “will not tolerate any form of hate crime or the threat of violence against anyone: all hate/bias incidents will be investigated thoroughly.”
Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca says the increased presence will go a long way to helping “ease some of the anxiety and the angst” the Jewish community has felt in the last 12 months.
Calgary
Calgary police say there’s been no specific threats identified against either the city’s Jewish or Muslim communities, but they increased patrols and their presence over the weekend and will continue on Monday.
“As we near the one-year mark since the events of Oct. 7, tensions in the Middle East remain high, and the effects are still being felt here in Calgary,” Calgary police said in a statemen. “We are collaborating with our partners to monitor the situation at local, national and international levels, and we continue to work with the community to ensure everyone’s safety.”
Members of Calgary’s Jewish community rallied at City Hall on Sunday to honour those who perished in the Oct. 7 attacks, waving Israeli flags and reciting the Kaddish prayer, a Jewish prayer said in memory of the dead.
On the other side of the street, pro-Palestinian demonstrators called for a ceasefire.
Vancouver
The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) said it deployed extra resources in anticipation of multiple protests planned for Oct. 7.
“You will see a significant and visible police presence throughout our city,” VPD Chief Adam Palmer said. “We’ll also be working behind the scenes with officers that you will not see to assess and reassess potential risks.”
Palmer went on to say there’s been “violence, hostility and assaults on police officers and members of the public” at protests in Vancouver since the Oct. 7 attacks. He said the VPD has set up additional cameras at Jewish places of worship and that a mobile command centre has been deployed at Vancouver’s Jewish Community Centre.
