Hate crimes on the rise in Canada’s biggest city
Hate crimes on the rise in Canada’s biggest city
Reports of Islamophobia and antisemitism "staggering"
Canadians are concerned about the war between Israel and Hamas boosting hate-motivated crimes in Canada – and they are right to be worried.
A new survey for CTV News by Nanos shows that seven in 10 Canadians are concerned (39 per cent) or somewhat concerned (30 per cent) that there will be an increase in hate-motivated incidents in our communities resulting from the conflict in the Middle East.
Unprecedented tensions resulting from the Israel-Hamas war have led to a "staggering" increase in hate crimes across Toronto, the city's police chief said during a police board meeting recently.
Both the number of Islamophobic or anti-Palestinian and antisemitic hate crimes has risen significantly since Oct. 7, Chief Myron Demkiw said.
In Toronto, the incidents have included intimidating Jews in their homes, schools and businesses and ripping sacred objects from their doorposts, scrawling stars of David soaked in blood at Jewish homes and at least one public school, and protests outside a Jewish community centre.
Toronto For All campaign poster
During the first three days of the war alone Toronto police saw an additional 14 hate crime reports. In comparison, police only saw five incidents over the same period last year and just one in 2021.
On Friday a 54-year-old Oshawa man was charged for making a hate-motivated death threat to a woman wearing a hijab in the city's east end. Police were told that the accused approached a woman wearing hijab and "made derogatory remarks regarding her religion." Police said the man then made a death threat to the woman and left the scene.
(Cover: Hitler’s name can be seen on a Toronto bus stop near predominantly Jewish neighbourhood)