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Published January 7, 2024, 6:34 PM ET
Toronto police have responded to a now-viral video showing officers delivering coffee to an anti-Israel protester during a recent demonstration.
The video, originally posted by lawyer and investigative journalist Caryma Sa'd
The recipient, dressed in Palestinian clothing, explains that the delivery was not sent by the police but by someone else who bought the coffee for the protesters attempting an anti-Israel demonstration on a highway overpass. “But the police won’t let them in, so the police now become our little messenger between us,” says the man.
The clip was heavily condemned online by critics who alleged preferential treatment by police toward those protesting Israel, in contrast to how Canadian law enforcement has dealt with the “Freedom Convoy” of truckers protesting Israel in the past COVID-19 regulations protested some pro-life demonstrations.
When contacted by Fox News Digital on Sunday, Toronto Police Service spokesperson Laurie McCann said: “Regarding the Coffee post on X: Our officers are managing a dynamic situation.”
“Your top priority is maintaining order in a tense environment on the Avenue Road bridge,” McCann said in an email. “When our officer performed a helpful act yesterday, it was to help keep tensions low and should not be interpreted as a sign of support for any cause or group.”
“Our officers continue to work to de-escalate these demonstrations and ensure public peace and safety,” McCann added.
A Toronto police officer carried a box of coffee and Tim Hortons cups and handed them to protesters. @CarymaRules The recipient explains that the delivery was not sent by the police, but by someone else who bought the coffee for the protesters attempting an anti-Israel demonstration on a highway overpass. @CarymaRules
The account @LibsofTikTok added to the video, which has been viewed more than a million times
In a post to his nearly 428,000 followers, Rebel News publisher Ezra Levant wrote: “@TorontoPolice distributes coffee and donuts to Hamas supporters.” @OttawaPolice hides the identities of anti-Semitic hate criminals. They were both colonized by dangerous, woke partisans.”
The video comes as Toronto police are investigating a fire and graffiti at a Jewish grocery store as a possible hate crime.
As CBC reported, International Delicatessen Foods, on Steeles Avenue West near Petrolia Road, had the message “Free Palestine” spray-painted outside.
The clip was heavily condemned online by critics who claimed that police gave preferential treatment to those protesting against Israel. Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu via Getty Images
Toronto police confirmed to Fox News Digital that the incident remains under investigation on Sunday.
In addition to the Toronto coffee video, Levant responded to a news release Friday announcing that the Ottawa Police Service's Hate and Bias Crime Unit has charged a person following “a series of property crime incidents downtown in December.” ” came.
When police released him, the suspect's name was omitted.
“In the evening hours of December 22nd, the individual spray-painted a number of anti-Semitic symbols and other hateful messages in several locations throughout the city center and the Golden Triangle. A 34-year-old Ottawa man has been identified and charged with 18 counts of criminal damage to property. He is expected to appear in court today,” the release said.
Toronto police confirmed to Fox News Digital that the incident remains under investigation on Sunday. Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu via Getty Images
Another critic, lawyer Ryan O'Connor, shared screenshots of posts from another Toronto Police Service employee who initially defended the video, saying the officers handled a “dynamic situation.”
“After a Toronto police spokeswoman — who defended police who used taxpayer money to provide coffee to protesters who blocked a highway bridge and the entrance to a Jewish neighborhood on the Sabbath — was criticized online, she simply deleted her Twitter account,” claimed O'Connor.
“Toronto Police: If you block a highway bridge that contains one of only three street entrances to a neighborhood full of Jews on Sabbath, you can expect not to be arrested but to receive taxpayer-funded coffee for your efforts,” O said ' Connor had previously written and initially reacted to the video.
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