Crown drops charges against 4 accused in Indigo bookstore vandalism

The Crown has dropped charges against four of the 11 people charged with hate-motivated crimes af‐ ter an Indigo bookstore was vandalized last fall.

In a statement, Toronto Police Service spokesperson Stephanie Sayer confirmed the Crown had dropped the charges, citing no "reason‐ able prospect of conviction."

Seven other people are still being prosecuted in con‐ nection with the Nov. 10, 2023, vandalism of the Indigo bookstore at Bay and Bloor streets, which included a number of posters accusing

CEO Heather Reisman, who is Jewish, of funding geno‐ cide, while red paint was also splashed across a glass door.

At the time, the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for

Holocaust Studies called it "a vile antisemitic attack," while dozens of protesters gath‐ ered outside 52 Division to protest the charges, saying Reisman had been targeted for her political activity, not the fact that she is Jewish.

"This is a complex prose‐ cution involving 30 charges and 11 accused persons," said the Crown in a state‐ ment shared via Toronto police.

"It has taken time, analysis, and careful consid‐ eration to properly assess the Reasonable Prospect of Conviction and Public In‐ terest against each of the 11 accused persons individual‐ ly," the Crown said.

"This decision should not be seen as a criticism of the police determination that there were reasonable grounds for the arrests of these four individuals.

"Our office remains com‐ mitted to ensuring these alle‐ gations receive the resources and attention deserving of these alleged offences that have had a widespread im‐ pact on our community, and the specific complainant in this matter."

In her statement, Sayer said, "The Toronto Police Ser‐ vice will persist in enforcing hate crime laws and laying charges when justified, en‐ suring the safety and security of our communities."