Tempers flare at Queen’s Park rally,
At Queen’s Park, Tory MP details letter from PM condemning Hamas
Fisticuffs broke out at a pro-Israel rally for peace at Queen’s Park on Sunday.
As speakers lauded Israel’s actions in Gaza, punches flew after two young men confronted a counterprotester holding a sign depicting the Israeli flag with a swastika instead of the Star of David.
Meir Weinstein, national director of the Jewish Defense League of Canada, which was providing security for the event, confirmed one of his young members was involved but had no further information.
Toby Trompeter, a spokeswoman for the “Canadians for Israel, Freedom and Democracy Rally,” called the violence “unfortunate.”
Organizers had urged the several hundred attendees to not carry provocative signs and to “have a peaceful and positive rally in solidarity with Israel,” she said.
No charges were laid, Toronto police said later.
Speakers included Progressive Conservative MP John Carmichael (Don Valley West). When Carmichael said he had a letter to rally participants from Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the crowd erupted in cheers and a chant of “Harper, Harper.”
Carmichael quoted Harper as saying: “Hamas’s indiscriminate attacks on civilians are reprehensible actions which require Israel to defend itself. Canada stands unequivocally behind Israel.”
Other speakers included Keren Zeitlin, a 16-year-old visiting from Israel who said her mother is a doctor in a hospital who treats many Palestinians.
“People say we don’t care about them — we care about them more than Hamas cares about them,” said Zeitlin, he voice wavering. “So don’t (let) the world dare to say that we’re killers, that we’re not treating the Gazan people fairly.”
Hamas rockets continued to fly toward Israel on Sunday, while Israel continued strikes on Gaza. Nearing the end of its third week, the conflict has claimed the lives of more than 1,000 Palestinians, 45 Israelis and a Thai worker in Israel.
Separated by barriers from the rally, Yves Engler was heckled and spat upon as he chanted “Kill more Palestinian children” at the crowd.
Engler, an atheist from B.C. who said he has no ties to the conflict, called the event “a pro-war rally dressed up with lots of talk about peace.”