A demonstration outside the Munk Debates, a high-profile Canadian public affairs, turned violent when an anti-Israel activist assaulted police and tried to seize an officer’s weapon last Wednesday, the Toronto Police Service said.
The debate featured former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, former Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren, and former Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked. Demonstrators gathered outside Meridian Hall, where several activist groups accused the speakers of “genocide” and demanded the event’s cancellation.
Attempted Weapon Seizure and Threats
Police said Thomas Zinderdine, a 24-year-old from Oakville, struck one officer and tried to disarm another as officers directed the crowd. He then fled into the demonstrators. According to police, Zinderdine and Meagan London, 21, later followed a departing attendee and threatened them.
Police charged Zinderdine with assaulting an officer, attempting to disarm an officer, and uttering threats. They also charged both Zinderdine and London with criminal harassment.
Organized Disruptions and Escalating Rhetoric
The organizations Jews Say No to Genocide, Toronto Centre for Palestine, and Toronto for Palestine led the protest. Demonstrators interrupted the event several times with shouts of “end the occupation” and “war criminal.” One banner praised Bassel al-Araj, a Palestinian terrorist.
A Toronto for Palestine representative claimed in a video that the debate was a “Zionist and racist” attempt to “manufacture consent” for Israeli policies.
Legal Complaint Filed Against Israeli Speakers
Hours before the event, several anti-Israel groups, including the Hind Rajab Foundation, Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, submitted a complaint urging Canadian authorities to investigate Olmert and Livni for alleged offenses tied to Operation Cast Lead — an Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip in 2008, when Olmert and Livni were in power.
The attempted weapon seizure marked the broader rise in aggressive demonstrations targeting Jews and Israelis worldwide.
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