A pro-Israel event at Toronto Metropolitan University was disrupted by a group of masked demonstrators on November 5. The event, organized by Students Supporting Israel, featured Jonathan Karten, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reservist. It was intended to be the first Canadian stop of a series of talks titled "Triggered: From Combat to Campus."

Approximately 40 protesters, wearing keffiyehs, attempted to shut down the event. They surrounded the venue, pounded on windows and doors, and shouted accusations of genocide against those inside. The situation escalated when demonstrators forced their way into the building, breaking glass doors and causing attendees to barricade themselves in interior rooms until police arrived.

Toronto Police reported that the protesters “forced entry” into a private event, leading to fears for the safety of those in attendance. The incident resulted in five arrests and a significant police response. A video of the event, which has garnered over a million views on social media, shows Karten physically removing trespassers from the venue after suffering injuries from shattered glass.

Karten, who is also the nephew of an Israeli soldier killed by Hamas in 1996, sustained deep lacerations to his forearm during the altercation. In the video, he is seen asking the venue owner if he could eject the trespassers, stating, “You’re moving, everyone’s moving.” The demonstrators, who recorded their ejection, claimed they were “brutalized” by the IDF.

The protest was organized primarily by the university’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). This group has been involved in numerous anti-Israel demonstrations in the Toronto area over the past two years. Just weeks earlier, two students were removed from an event featuring a Jewish member of Parliament, Evan Solomon, after they accused him of complicity in genocide.

Liat Schwartz, president of Students Supporting Israel, noted that the university administration had canceled the event three times due to “vague safety concerns.” Schwartz expressed frustration over the repeated cancellations, stating that the university found reasons to deny their applications each time. Ultimately, the event was held at a nearby hypnosis therapy center.

In response to the incident, the Jewish civil rights group Tafsik Organization is working to identify the individual responsible for breaking the window. They have also called for Canadian universities to disband SJP branches, labeling their actions as violent extremism and organized intimidation. Tafsik plans to engage with members of Parliament to request a review of SJP for potential designation as a terrorist-affiliated organization.

In other news, the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia has reaffirmed its decision to prohibit the wearing of Remembrance Day poppies in courtrooms, citing concerns about bias. Premier Tim Houston criticized the ruling as “disgusting.” The court's justices argued that in a hypothetical case involving a non-veteran accused of assaulting a veteran, the presence of a poppy could create discomfort regarding the neutrality of the proceedings.

This decision has sparked debate about the appropriateness of symbols of remembrance in judicial settings, highlighting the ongoing tension between tradition and perceived impartiality in the legal system.