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Toronto Police Service will have a noticeably larger presence when the United Jewish Appeal hosts its annual Walk with Israel on Sunday.
“Our role is straightforward: to help ensure that everyone attending can do so safely, and that anyone exercising their right to protest does so lawfully,” Toronto Police Service Deputy Chief Frank Barredo said on Thursday afternoon at police headquarters. “Toronto Police has been planning for this event in close coordination with organizers and neighbouring police services. On the day of the event, there will be a significant police presence in the area, supported by officers from York, Durham, Peel, and OPP.”
Barredo said the additional support from other municipalities will help effectively manage the entire stretch of the 3.9-kilometre parade route, which starts at the Temple Sinai Congregation on Wilson Ave. at 9:30 a.m. The walk will conclude at the Sherman Campus on Bathurst St. at 3:30 p.m.
‘There is a robust plan’
“Members of the public can expect to see officers on foot, bicycles, and horseback at the walk and throughout the surrounding neighbourhoods,” Barredo said. “This deployment is designed to support public safety, manage traffic and crowds, and allow us to respond quickly to any incidents or concerns.”
Last year, the event became heated as walkers and protesters got too close to one another. Police want to make sure that doesn’t happen on Sunday.
“What I can tell you is that there is a robust plan, particularly at Bathurst and Sheppard, to create a greater separation, to create a greater buffer, using more officers, using more barricades to make sure that some of the things that unfortunately happened last year do not happen again this year,” Barredo said.
Last year, families with children walked between lines of demonstrators and were subjected to demonstrators shouting hateful remarks. More than 56,000 people took part in the 2025 Walk with Israel.
‘Gauntlet of hate’
“We were aware of the frustrations from participants that it was called a gauntlet of hate, if you will,” Barredo said. “The Bathurst and Sheppard is an area that saw the protestors congregate, and to the dismay of many, it was too proximate to the walkers. We had police officers there, there was a separation, but the very fact that people and families walking by might hear things that are offensive was really distasteful, and that is something we are hoping to reduce, if not eliminate completely, this year.”
Barredo said individuals can exercise their lawful rights to protest, but hate speech and other forms of abuse or antisemitism will not be tolerated.
“Lawful protest is a fundamental right in Canada, and Toronto Police remains committed to protecting that right,” Barredo said. “At the same time, no one should be subjected to intimidation, harassment, threats, hate-motivated criminal acts, or other criminal behaviour. Any suspected hate speech or hateful signage will be investigated. As we demonstrated this week, when we announced wilful promotion of hatred charges related to antisemitic signage, charges will be laid when the evidence supports them.”
‘Will take appropriate enforcement action’
On Monday afternoon, Toronto Police announced the arrest of five individuals in connection with a demonstration earlier this year. Images from the March 15 protest at the intersection of Bathurst St. and Sheppard Ave. W. depicted Jews in a less-than-flattering light.
All five suspects were charged with wilful promotion of hate.
Barredo noted that police conducted a review of their response, looking at what went well and what did not, in an effort to improve “future iterations” of the event.
Naturally, police hope the walk is peaceful and without incident. If not, they will respond accordingly.
“Our expectation is that all participants, attendees, and demonstrators will conduct themselves lawfully and respectfully,” Barredo said. “Where criminal offences occur, officers will take appropriate enforcement action.”