Planned anti-Israel protest in Toronto's east end is 'just a way to harass Israel and the Jewish community'
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'We've been putting up with this lawlessness for close to two years, and as long as there's minimal consequences, it will continue,' he told National Post on Tuesday over the phone. 'These threats against city critical infrastructure are very serious, whether it turns into a hoax or not.'
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He called on police and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to ensure public safety in a social media post on Monday.
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Toronto City Councillor James Pasternak condemns threats of a 'Danforth Takeover' by pro-Palestinian groups and urges Toronto Police and TTC security to ensure safe public access to all subway stations and City of Toronto infrastructure. pic.twitter.com/EdnTleW8FA
— James Pasternak (@PasternakTO) August 11, 2025
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Anti-Israel protests have been widespread around the world particularly after Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists killed 1,200 people. It triggered a war in the Middle East that is still ongoing.
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The protest is being organized by 'pro-Palestinian groups,' Pasternak said. It is set to start at 5 p.m. and estimated to last until 7 p.m. on Tuesday. The plan is for protesters to 'bring signs, pots and pans' to make noise with at every subway stop from Kipling to Main stations on the Bloor-Danforth line. The group is demanding 'an immediate arms embargo' and an end to 'Canada's complicity' in the war.
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In a report by Israel's Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, the potential protest in Toronto is listed as high risk. Its organizers — East End Acts, World BEYOND War Canada, Palestinian Youth Movement Toronto, Palestine Solidarity Network, Canadians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East — have more than 137,000 followers on Instagram combined. The protest is intended to be part of the 'Arms Embargo Week of Action' in Toronto. Organizers for the protest did not immediately return National Post's request for comment.
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'(The protest's) extended footprint across multiple public transit nodes increases potential disruption to pedestrian and vehicular movement in a densely populated area,' says the report. 'While there are no explicit calls for violence, the confrontational tone and location in busy public corridors present a risk of clashes with passersby or counter protesters.'
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City councillor Brad Bradford said he agreed with Pasternak's concerns in a post on X on Monday.
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'Threats to shut down transit are dangerous and unacceptable,' he wrote.
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On Tuesday morning, MP for Eglinton-Lawrence Vince Gasparro, appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary (Combatting Crime), shared a letter addressed to Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow on X.
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He said the planned 'demonstrations today threaten to shutdown access to transportation infrastructure while widening divisions between our communities.' In the letter, he noted the escalation of 'hatred and intimidation' toward the Jewish community since October 7.
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