When extremism is not stopped, it only grows. Authorities must act now to put an end to the escalating aggression of anti-Israel “activists” in our city.

Our community's voice is stronger when we speak as one. We’re asking you to take a few minutes to read this message and take action today.

Since October 7th, to name just a few examples, we’ve seen speakers at rallies in our city calling for “Intifada”. Protestors storming malls to scream at holiday shoppers. Others disrupting public ice time at Nathan Phillips Square, using megaphones to intimidate skaters.

And once again, a major overpass in the heart of a heavily Jewish neighbourhood at Avenue and the 401 was closed this weekend due to safety concerns caused by anti-Israel protestors. While the Chief of Police has since apologized for images of officers passing coffee to the protestors, the situation at this overpass can no longer continue.

Watch Noah Shack, UJA's VP of Countering Antisemitism & Hate, discuss this issue on CBC's Power & Politics

Freedom of expression can never be an excuse to harm others. Jewish community members and all who live here have a right to enjoy our city without fear of harassment or hate.

We are facing an adversary that flaunts its disrespect for law enforcement, for basic facts, and for core Canadian values. This will be a marathon, not a sprint, as anti-Israel extremists will no doubt continue to shift their belligerent actions.

But our community is strong and resilient. We won't be bullied by these aggressive tactics, which we believe only alienate the Canadian public from their shameful anti-Jewish agenda.

In recent months, police have deployed significant resources to address the rise of antisemitism, particularly at Jewish institutions. But anti-Israel demonstrations are becoming more brazen. We are asking police to do everything in their power to monitor and enforce the law at these protests, including when it comes to hate speech.

It’s also increasingly clear that policy change is needed to put an end to what’s happening at Avenue and the 401. It is not illegal in Ontario to protest on the sidewalk of an overpass. However, Toronto Police have been regularly closing the overpass due to safety concerns as a result of the protests. A group of activists must not be allowed to shut down critical infrastructure and disrupt life, day in and day out, for an entire neighbourhood.

Join us in calling on the Government of Ontario to take emergency action to restrict demonstrations from taking place on highway overpasses. It takes just a minute to send a message through this action alert launched by our advocacy agent, CIJA.

There is much more to be done to hold accountable those who spread hate against our community. Through CIJA’s Legal Task Force, we are looking at all legal avenues to address this challenge. But advocating for this practical policy change today—together with thousands of community members and allies—will send a strong message that what’s happening in our city cannot continue.

After you’ve taken action, please join us for a special online briefing from UJA’s leadership on Wednesday, January 10th at 8:00PM. Click here to register and add a reminder to your calendar. We will discuss these and other challenges related to the fight against antisemitism, what we are doing as a community to address them, and field your questions and ideas.

Sincerely,