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The following is an analysis authored by the Antisemitism Research Center (ARC) by CAM:
Overt Jew-hatred and violent antisemitic threats were on display last weekend on the streets of major Western cities, including London and Toronto, ahead of International Quds Day this Friday, an annual Iranian regime-sponsored event urging the destruction of the State of Israel.
Launched in 1979 by then-Iranian Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as a call for Muslim unity against Israel, International Quds Day, held on the last Friday of Ramadan, has morphed over the past four and a half decades into a global platform for spreading anti-Western radicalism.
Each year, International Quds Day demonstrations both in Iran and across the globe feature grotesque manifestations of extremism, including slogans of “Death to Israel, Death to America,” the desecration of Israeli and U.S. flags, the glorification of Iranian terror proxies such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, and banners promoting a full range of antisemitic tropes – with the level of venom only escalating in the aftermath of the October 7th massacre in Israel and the ongoing war in Gaza.
The typical rhetoric at International Quds Day rallies marks clear incitement to violence targeting Jewish communities worldwide, and law enforcement authorities must vigilantly monitor these events and quickly step in to take preventative action when necessary to ensure public safety.
This past weekend’s marches in London and Toronto offered an ominous preview of what further may be in store in the days ahead.
In the British capital on Sunday, thousands of demonstrators marched from Marble Arch to Portland Place, chanting “Zionism has to fall,” carrying signs with messages such as “Resistance by any means necessary” and placards bearing the images of Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and late Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) chief Qassem Soleimani, and waving Iranian, Palestinian and Yemeni flags.
Today is the annual Al Quds Day march.
In the past, the Al Quds Day march has been an annual display of support for the murderous theocracy in Iran and its client terror groups like Hizballah. Some cities have banned the march altogether.
Since we and others secured the… pic.twitter.com/hnz8gPDYyV
— Campaign Against Antisemitism (@antisemitism) March 23, 2025
In Toronto, Ontario, a Sunday rally outside the U.S. Consulate took a similar dark turn, with “Zionism must be eradicated” flyers distributed and a speaker peddling the antisemitic conspiracy theory that Canadian politicians were bought off by Jewish groups to “serve Zionism more than they will serve Canadians.”
Sickening antisemitic tropes being peddled on the streets of Toronto at this year’s Al Quds Day hatefest. This incitement must be condemned. It has no place in our city, province or country! pic.twitter.com/vtkyKmwpp4
— Michael Levitt 🇨🇦🎗️ (@LevittMichael) March 23, 2025
Past International Quds Day events in Toronto have seen Hezbollah and Hamas terrorists hailed as “resistance heroes,” as well as chants of “Jews to the gas” and “The intifada will burn the West.”
The events that unfolded during this past weekend’s Al-Quds Day rallies are nothing short of outrageous. This, despite our extensive efforts—including tens of thousands of letters sent to municipal leaders urging them to intervene and prevent these gatherings—demonstrates a… pic.twitter.com/9Ro4vGbyVt
— B’nai Brith Canada (@bnaibrithcanada) March 24, 2025
In New York City, a “Palestine Land Day” march is planned for this coming Sunday, March 30, starting in Union Square.
Social media posts advertising the event contain calls to “dismantle the Zionist-West axis” and “purge the American empire.”
A past rally in New York included signs reading “Jews control the West,” demonizing Jews and contributing to the rise of antisemitism in the city that is home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel.
International Quds Day normalizes violence and radicalization, undermines Western values, and poses a tangible threat to public safety.
This is why the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) is imploring law enforcement authorities at all relevant levels to go beyond containment and crack down on event organizers who exploit free speech to disseminate dangerous hatred.
In 2025, Jews should not have to walk in fear on the streets of their cities, and decisive action is needed to make this a reality — including rally shut downs and bans when and where deemed warranted to protect lives.
