Latest news with #pro-Gaza
Toronto Sun
19-05-2025
- Toronto Sun
WARMINGTON: Oversight needed after ambulance with child inside diverted by rally
Toronto Police spokesperson says incident not determined to not be emergency, so protesters were not cleared Get the latest from Joe Warmington straight to your inbox A child is loaded into an ambulance at Yonge and Bloor Saturday -- but needed to be diverted on another route to hospital because of a Pro-Palestine protest at the intersection -- Caryma Sa'd photo Photo by Caryma Sa'd / Special to the Toronto Sun The emergency for Toronto may not just be that an ambulance with a child on board was blocked from getting to a hospital by a pro-Gaza protest, but that the demonstration is considered by the city to be a higher priority. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account An ambulance responding Saturday to a child in medical distress needed to use a detour to get around a pro-Palestinian protest at Yonge and Bloor Sts. and was forced to find another route to a hospital upon loading the stretcher-bound child. 'It was shocking,' said journalist and lawyer Caryma Sa'd, who said paramedic sources expressed their anger that there was difficultly responding to a call for a child facing a medical issue because of a blocked intersection. 'I fully expected the ambulance would be able to get through the intersection, as I have seen happen at other demonstrations.' A child is loaded into an ambulance at Yonge and Bloor Sts. in downtown Toronto on Saturday, May 17, 2025, that needed to be diverted from its route to a hospital because of a pro-Palestine protest at a nearby intersection. The child's condition was unknown. Photo by Caryma Sa'd / Special to the Toronto Sun Certainly from a parent's point of view, calling an ambulance for your child is traumatic enough, let alone said ambulance not being able to have a clear route to the hospital. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Toronto Paramedic Services and Mayor Olivia Chow's office have not yet responded to questions about this. But Toronto Police responded, saying they did not believe the incident had risen to the level of an emergency. If they did, police said they don't need an Emergencies Act declaration from Ottawa to clear the route, as some protesters believe. 'Police have emergency powers and if officers determine that demonstrators need to be moved to facilitate emergency access, they will act accordingly,' said Toronto Police spokesperson Stephanie Sayer. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Sa'd and her videographer captured the child being put into the ambulance, which was forced to make a U-turn on Bloor. Another videographer, who goes by Documenting Reality on social media, also captured the ambulance having difficulty getting to the call. Both of these videos should be reviewed by authorities. 'In this case, the ambulance did not activate its lights or sirens – a clear indication of an emergency – and officers were not advised of any urgent need to clear a path,' said Sayer. 'If someone required an emergency run to the hospital, they would have taken immediate action.' With none of that happening, this large crowd, which routinely blocks the intersection and other roadways since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel, was given courtesy over an ambulance transporting a child. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It's complicated because it's not clear if the people protesting were aware of the ambulance call,' said Sa'd, adding she has previously seen demonstrators clear a path for emergency vehicles. An ambulance with a child on board at Yonge and Bloor Sts. in downtown Toronto on Saturday, May 17, 2025, needed to be diverted from its route to a hospital because of a pro-Palestine protest at a nearby intersection. The child's condition was unknown. Photo by Caryma Sa'd / Special to the Toronto Sun It's still unclear how the child is now. There have been inquiries, but so far no one has been able to indicate what happened after the incident. 'The individual being transported to hospital was not involved in the demonstration,' said Sayer, adding as a result they 'do not have information on them or their health status.' What I think should happen here is a full investigation into every part of this situation. The condition of the child is most important, but there is also a need for a better understanding of the urgency of the call, the decision to not turn on the lights and sirens and why a path through the crowd wasn't cleared. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Was there a concern of a trampling or pushback or is it another case where protesters could escalate matters should police try to intervene? RECOMMENDED VIDEO Whatever it is, there is something very wrong in Toronto. It's mind-boggling that anti-Israel protesters continue to control Toronto's streets. They are given too much leeway. They go where they want, intimidate who they want and sometimes use troubling language to rally their supporters. Whether it be sparking a smoke grenade on the street or calling for escalation in support of Hamas's war with Israel or now diverting the route of an ambulance trying to transport a child to a hospital, the police and city have lost control of the streets. No matter the excuse, police would not tolerate this from anybody else. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. It it were a Christian pro-life protest or a trucker rally, none of the things the pro-Palestinian demonstrators do weekly would be tolerated. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In every case, these protests do not have permits to clog roadways and are not asked to cover the cost of the policing like the Jewish community is asked to do for the Walk With Israel, which is also required to have provisions in place for emergency calls. What should happen is all future protests should be confined to public squares at Queen's Park or Nathan Phillips Square and not on a roadway unless the necessary permits and emergency plans are in place. With so many hospitals downtown, it has never made sense that protesters take precedence over patients in ambulances. It needs to stop and that should happen now. Read More
Scottish Sun
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Gary Lineker returns to BBC for first time since post likening supporters of Israel to rats as host fronts FA Cup final
GARY Lineker has returned to the BBC for the first time since being accused of sharing a "anti-Semitic" post. The outgoing Match of the Day host sparked fury over the Instagram upload, which has since been deleted. 2 Lineker has returned to the BBC for the first time since his post Credit: Getty 2 He presented coverage of the FA Cup final between Manchester City and Crystal Palace from Wembley today Lineker has "apologised unreservedly" after sharing the pro-Gaza video that likened supporters of Israel to rats. A rat has been used as an anti-Semitic insult referring to language used by Nazi Germany to characterise Jewish people. The rat accompanied footage of a Canadian-Palestinian lawyer attacking the war in Gaza with the caption "Zionism explained in two minutes." In a statement, Lineker said: "On Instagram I reposted material which I have since learned contained offensive references. "I very much regret these references. "I would never knowingly share anything antisemitic. It goes against everything I believe in. "The post was removed as soon as I became aware of the issue. "Whilst I strongly believe in the importance of speaking out on humanitarian issues, including the tragedy unfolding in Gaza, I also know that how we do so matters. "I take full responsibility for this mistake. That image does not reflect my views. "It was an error on my part for which I apologise unreservedly." Gary Lineker gets a grilling over Maradonna's infamous hand of God goal in hilarious new The Assembly teaser Last November Lineker announced he would be stepping down from presenting Match Of The Day. The former England and Barcelona striker will make his final appearance on the highlights show on May 25. But he will still host World Cup and FA Cup coverage. And Lineker returned to TV screens this afternoon for the first time since the row erupted. He presented coverage of the FA Cup final between Manchester City and Crystal Palace from Wembley. Lineker appeared alongside Wayne Rooney. But a source said: "He is hosting the Cup final this weekend but beyond that we don't know at this stage. "Staff are annoyed with him after this week — and he is annoyed with himself too." This comes after the director general of the BBC said people need to follow the broadcaster's social media rules when asked about the row involving the Lineker post. Tim Davie, after giving a wide-ranging speech, speaking of trust, disinformation and impartiality, was asked if Lineker had broken the BBC's rules. Speaking at The Lowry arts centre in Salford, Mr Davie said: "The BBC's reputation is held by everyone and when someone makes a mistake, it costs us. "And I think we absolutely need people to be the exemplars of BBC values and follow our social media policies, simple as that." Lineker's agent told the BBC the presenter immediately deleted the post when he learned about the image's symbolism, which he had previously not appreciated. Meanwhile, earlier this week Lineker fired savage digs at the new BBC boss as the ex-footballer revealed why he left Match of the Day. The TV veteran slammed BBC's new director of sport, Alex Kay-Jelski, claiming he 'has no TV experience' in a brutal interview with The Telegraph. Lineker, 64, warned the BBC not to tamper too much with the iconic show, saying: "He has his reasons, he wants to change Match of the Day a bit. "Ultimately, I don't think they will, because I don't see how you move a highlights show away from being about highlights." Lineker presented Match of the Day for a staggering 26 years. However, the 64-year-old claims that much has changed since the new BBC boss took charge last year. "I think he wants more journalists - he has come from that background," Gary added. In March 2023 Lineker was temporarily suspended from the BBC after an impartiality row over comments he made criticising the then-government's new asylum policy. He was also among 500 other high-profile figures who signed an open letter in February urging the BBC, to re-broadcast a documentary, Gaza: How To Survive A War Zone, to BBC iPlayer. But the legendary footballer has vowed to steer clear of entering the world of politics when he does end his punditry career in 2026. He said previously: "I won't get involved in politics, I never really have. "Apart from the Brexit vote, because I did a lot of research on that and decided, 'This could be worse than we think'. "I never back a government. I might criticise Sir Keir Starmer on Israel. But nobody knows my politics.' Lineker is the co-founder of Goalhanger Podcasts, makers of the popular The Rest Is History series and its spin-offs about politics, football, entertainment and money. He is being replaced as Match of the Day host by Gabby Logan, Kelly Cates and Mark Chapman next season.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
WARMINGTON: Man on bail at Toronto mosque faces accusation of fear of terrorism
Days before the RCMP picked up a Kitchener man believed to be planning to travel abroad to join an international terror organization, he was arrested at Pearson International Airport for allegedly making death threats to police officers, the Toronto Sun has learned. Husam Taha Ali Al-Sewaiee, who has lived in Canada for a number of years but is originally from Yemen, was charged on April 15 after allegedly uttering threats toward officers and released on an undertaking to appear at a later date in court for that allegation. A Peel Regional Police spokesperson confirmed 'the information we have is the individual was arrested by PRP on April 15th for uttering threats' and was charged. These charges have yet to be tested in court. A court date on the uttering threats charge has not yet been set. No weapons were seized and no one was hurt in the incident at the airport. It's unclear if Taha Ali Al-Sewaiee was at Pearson as part of his alleged plan to leave Canada. But what is clear is 'red flags went off' when he was detained there after a confrontation where 'utterances' were allegedly made and that information was shared with federal authorities. WARMINGTON: While it was not a terror attack at a Toronto university, students say they felt terrorized WARMINGTON: Like the Middle East, Toronto's 'Little Gaza' is separated by fence This incident occurred nine days before the deadly police shooting of a man at Pearson – something now being probed by the province's Special Investigations Unit. Needless to say, it has been a difficult year at the airport for police. 'Our officers were not physically harmed, acted very professionally and arranged for the man to be taken to hospital for a mental health assessment,' Peel Regional Police Association President Adrian Woolley said. 'At this point, this is a matter in the hands of investigators.' Four days after Taha Ali Al-Sewaiee was arrested at Pearson, on April 19, he was before a Brampton court facing what court documents say is an application for a peace bond under Section Number 810.01ccc, of the Criminal Code of Canada which is granted for a 'fear of terrorism offence' where 'a person who fears on reasonable grounds that another person may commit a terrorism offence may, with the Attorney General's consent, lay an information before a provincial court judge.' Al-Sewaiee is not facing any terrorism charges. His case has also not been tested in court and police say this is an open file that remains under investigation. But court documents show the 32-year-old, who has told people he was soon to become a Canadian citizen and who has been seen at pro-Gaza protests in Toronto since the Oct. 7th slaughter in Israel, has been held over in a special arrangement approved by the court to reside under bail conditions at a North Toronto mosque after an approved surety posted a $1,000 bond. The conditions state he can only leave the mosque 'when you are in the company of your surety' or with 'written permission' for specific purposes including going to court or for medical reasons. He also can't be 'within 300 metres of any airport or Candian border' and he had to 'surrender' his 'passport or travel documents.' B'nai Brith Canada declined to comment on the court proceedings in this matter. But on the overall concern of potential danger to Canadians, they have expressed deep concern. 'Our federal government must address the dangerous weaknesses plaguing Canada's immigration and national security systems,' B'nai Brith Director of Research and Advocacy Richard Robertson said. 'Those who demonstrate signs of, or appear to have a predisposition towards, radicalization should never be permitted to enter our country let alone to obtain citizenship. Urgent action is needed to stop the spread of radicalization.' Meir Weinstein, of Israel Now, also declined comment on the bail arrangement but did say, 'I recognize him from pro-Palestine protests' but 'have no recollection of having any issues or problems with him.' 'We are reviewing our photographs and videos and will work with law enforcement if they need any help,' he added. Ontario's office of the Attorney General has not so far commented on this move by the court. But in light of alleged threats against police, as well as fear of terrorism, it would be good to know from Attorney General Doug Downey if the accused man's bail conditions can be reviewed in the interest of ensuring public safety. This seems like uncharted legal and justice waters. It's unknown if a person before the courts on the fear or terrorism, or any serious criminal allegation, has ever been released on bail to a place of worship before. Is this the appropriate place to house somebody before the courts on such serious matters? Sources say it was felt this was the best option available for the court since it did not want to have him under house arrest at a previous Kitchener address. Several police officers told the Sun there is curiosity if this move to send a person before the courts to reside at a mosque sets a precedent that could see this being requested in future cases. This mosque is not a stand-alone structure but in a complex with other businesses and appears to have both a prayer hall and an apartment as part of it. Calls to the mosque for comment were unsuccessful. But, sources say, police bail compliance professionals will do compliance reviews like they do with anybody released on bail conditions. For now, this is where this man accused of fear of terrorism and uttering threats to police calls home. jwarmington@
Saba Yemen
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Sana'a's al-Haymah al-Dakhiliyah holds pro-Gaza march, armed vigil
Sana'a - Saba: Mobilization forces members and students from al-Falah Summer School in Bani al-Hudhaifi sub-district of al-Haymah al-Dakhiliyah district of Sana'a governorate, organized on Thursday a march and armed vigil today in solidarity with Gaza, affirming their readiness to confront any emergency. Led by the district's Mobilization Forces official Mukhtar al-Sayaghi participants waved Yemeni and Palestinian flags, chanted pro-Gaza slogans, and challenged Israel and its supporters. They declared their readiness for the battle of "the promised victory and holy jihad" to defend Yemen. A statement from the vigil affirmed al-Hudhaifi clan's support for Gaza with resources and for the Palestinian resistance until they achieve their rights with Jerusalem as their capital. A statement issued praised the Yemeni Armed Forces' success in restricting Israeli occupation sea navigation and imposing a no-fly zone over Ben Gurion Airport. The statement renewed their full support for the "leader of the revolution," Sayyed Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, in all strategic decisions related to the "Promised Victory and Holy Jihad" battle, in defense of Yemen and in support of the Palestinian people. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print more of (Local)
Extra.ie
15-05-2025
- Business
- Extra.ie
WATCH: Ben & Jerry's co-founder arrested for Gaza protest in Capitol
Ben & Jerry's co-founder Ben Cohen has been arrested for his involvement in a pro-Gaza protest at a Senate hearing on Wednesday. The 74-year-old was one of seven people arrested by Capitol police during the Senate Health, Education, Labour and Pensions Committee. The interruption happened when US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr was speaking with one protester saying the secretary 'kills people with AIDS.' Ben and Jerry co-founder Ben Cohen has been arrested for his involvement in a pro-Gaza protest at a Senate hearing on Wednesday. Pic:Ben can then be heard stating that 'Congress sends the bombs that kills children in Gaza and pays for it with cuts to Medicaid.' Video footage then sees the businessman hauled out by a member of the police. Asked why he was being arrested in a second clip, Ben responded: 'Congress kills poor kids in Gaza by buying bombs and pays for it by kicking kids off Medicaid in the US. Sky News report that earlier on Wednesday the ice-cream boss had attended a pro-Palestine event with Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib. Pic:'They need to let food into Gaza. They need to let food to starving kids! Congress is paying to bomb poor kids in Gaza and paying for it by kicking poor kids off Medicaid in the US,' he reiterated. Sky News report that earlier on Wednesday the ice-cream boss had attended a pro-Palestine event with Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib. Following his arrest, Ben took to social media tweeting a video of the incident. I told Congress they're killing poor kids in Gaza by buying bombs, and they're paying for it by kicking poor kids off Medicaid in the US. This was the authorities' response. — Ben Cohen (@YoBenCohen) May 14, 2025 'I told Congress they're killing poor kids in Gaza by buying bombs, and they're paying for it by kicking poor kids off Medicaid in the US. 'This was the authorities' response.' The post was met with many supporting Ben, with one branding him a man of 'compassion, conscience and integrity.' 'He will go down in history as the good guy,' they added, 'While American politicians will go down in history as genocide enablers. Thank you, Ben!' Another added: 'Legend, Ben & Jerry my fav ice cream now.'
