25-05-2025
‘It feels so good': Toronto's Walk with Israel breaks record with 56,000 participants
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There was a heavy police presence lining the route, particularly at the Bathurst and Sheppard intersection, which slowed marchers down during the walk's final stretch, just south of its endpoint at the Prosserman Jewish Community Centre (JCC). Tensions flared in the logjam as police did their best to distance the two camps from one another. No arrests were witnessed at the time.
The pro-Israel crowd was diverse and boasted many non-Jews. Several Iranian flags featuring a lion — an icon embraced by members of the diaspora critical of the current regime — were spotted often. Members of Allies for a Strong Canada, a group of non-Jewish advocates established after October 7 to combat antisemitism in the country, were also present.
'On the question of antisemitism, on the question of the rights and freedoms of the Jewish people, you need to stand up right away,' the chair of the organization's board, Tim Egan, said. His comments came just hours after Israel's National Security Council elevated its Canadian travel advisory level from 'no warning' to 'potential threat' posed to Jews and Israelis.
'As a Canadian, I've been horrified for a very long time about how antisemitism is on the rise,' Egan continued. 'I've always seen Israel as an ally, we should stand with our allies. Israel is an ally under attack and with the attack on Israel has come, I think, a disgusting attack on the Jewish people within Canada.'
