Canada’s police forces are stepping up security as tensions flare across the Middle East and as the anniversary of the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel approaches.
Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw said emotions were “running high” in Toronto ahead of the anniversary.
“The ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to deeply affect communities across our city, and we know that in the coming days and weeks, we will be seeing difficulty in our communities,” Demkiw told reporters on Tuesday.
Demkiw said the police were expecting “increased protest activity and acts of violence” ahead of Monday.
“As a result, Toronto residents will notice an increased police presence across the city,” he said.
Police in neighbouring York Region are also stepping up police presence ahead of Monday.
“Officers will conduct increased foot and mobile patrols near faith-based institutes, schools and community centres,” York police said in a press release.
Police in Ottawa are also stepping up efforts.
“The Ottawa Police Service has taken proactive measures to ensure the safety of all residents in response to a number of recent significant events in the Middle East. We recognize that next week, October 7th, marks the beginning of hostilities. We are closely monitoring the situation and assessing any potential impacts on our local community,” the police service said.
“This includes increasing our presence and patrols around Jewish and Islamic places of worship, as well as community centers. Our priority is the safety and security of all community members, and we remain committed to fostering a peaceful and supportive environment during this time.”
The Calgary Police Service said that while tensions in the Middle East were being felt in Calgary too, there was no immediate threat to local communities.
“We recognize that this ongoing uncertainty may cause some Calgarians to feel fearful about their safety. Currently, there is no direct threat to the public in Calgary. However, we have proactively increased patrols near local places of worship and other significant areas. While there have no been specific threats identified at this time, we do encourage people to be vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to the police,” the Calgary Police Service said in a statement to Global News.
The statement added, “We are also aware of potential local demonstrations. As with all major planned events and demonstrations, it is standard practice for police to monitor these events, manage public safety, maintain peace, and respond to any service calls as needed.”
Demkiw said the police will be “a visible and reassuring presence” throughout Toronto and that the city will see an increased presence of not just uniformed officers, but also officers in plainclothes. A seven-days-a-week major incident command centre is also being set up.
Marked police vehicles will be patrolling some communities with static red and blue lights on the rooftop bars to enhance visibility.
Toronto police are also setting up mobile command posts in the Jewish neighbourhoods of Bathurst and Glencairn, Bathurst and Sheppard, and Bathurst and Finch. A mobile command post will also be deployed at major mosques across the city.
The past year since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, which killed 1,200 people in Israel, has seen anger, demonstrations and at times, threats of violence, around the world, including in Canada.
Global News has documented the rise of antisemitism that the Oct. 7 attacks unleashed, as well as worrying rises in reports of hate crimes targeting members of the Jewish and Muslim communities across the country.
Criminal proceedings remain ongoing after RCMP charged an Ottawa youth late last year with facilitation of a terrorist activity “by communicating instructional material related to an explosive substance.”
He was also charged with “instructing, directly or indirectly, a person to carry out a terrorist activity against Jewish persons.”
Iran, which backs Hezbollah and other proxies in the Middle East, fired roughly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for the killings of top Hezbollah commanders over the weekend.
Israel has continued to launch attacks on Lebanon after the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. It also launched limited ground raids into southern Lebanese communities early Tuesday.
Less than one-third of Canadians in Lebanon are taking government-assisted commercial flights out of the country when offered, officials said Tuesday, urging everyone to take the opportunity while it remains available.
As of Tuesday, roughly 300 Canadians have left Lebanon on government-chartered flights from Beirut to Istanbul, a senior Global Affairs Canada official said on background to discuss the ongoing operation. The government is booking seats on at least three more flights out of Beirut this week, the official confirmed, and more flights may be chartered as needed in the coming days.
“If you are offered a seat, please take it,” Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly told reporters in Ottawa earlier Tuesday.
“The reality is, the seats that we have been securing have not all been taken.”
— with files from Global’s Sean Boynton