On November 5, Jonathan Karten arrived at a building on Elm Street in downtown Toronto, realizing he was in a perilous situation. He was there with his friend, Shoshanah OFlaherty, to attend a meeting organized by Students Supporting Israel (SSI), a group from Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). The meeting's original venue was canceled by the university at the last minute, forcing the group to find a new location. This last-minute change has become common for Jewish gatherings in Toronto since October 7, 2023, due to increasing hostility toward Jewish and Israeli events.

Karten and OFlaherty were met by a representative from SSI outside the building. The location had been kept secret to protect attendees from potential protests. However, the meeting's address was leaked, prompting an emergency rally by protesters. As Karten entered the building and made his way to the meeting room, he heard shouting and chaos erupting behind him. He soon found himself surrounded by a group of seven to ten masked individuals dressed in black, a style often associated with protest movements.

Karten described the scene as an ambush. "I heard yelling behind me. I turned around and I saw two men charge at me. One of them was wielding a drill bit," he said. He managed to close the door to the meeting room, temporarily blocking the intruders. However, the masked individuals attempted to force their way in, shattering the glass door during the struggle. Karten sustained injuries, including a deep cut on his forearm, which required hospital treatment.

Throughout the ordeal, the intruders shouted threats, including, "Death to the IDF. Arrest him. War criminal. Kill him. Get him." Despite the danger, Karten focused on protecting the students inside the room. OFlaherty called 911, expressing urgency about the situation. "This is a very serious, dangerous situation," she told the operator. "You need to get people here immediately. This is not a protest; this is a lynching." The atmosphere was tense, with some students hiding under tables and one experiencing an epileptic seizure.

As police arrived, OFlaherty noted that the protesters showed no signs of intimidation. "They weren’t even relenting once the police got there. They were desperate to get in and hurt us," she said. The situation escalated, with protesters reportedly striking police officers and attempting to breach police barricades. OFlaherty recounted an incident where a police officer suggested that her filming of the violence was instigating the situation.

Karten, a former combat soldier in the Israel Defense Forces, recognized the threat level. After the violence, Toronto police arrested five individuals on charges including forcible entry and assaulting a peace officer. A sixth suspect, Qabil Ibrahim, was arrested a week later and charged with similar offenses. Ibrahim had a prior arrest related to a protest where he was accused of setting an Israeli flag on fire.

The incident has drawn attention to the treatment of Toronto's Jewish community by law enforcement. Karten expressed surprise at the charged atmosphere in Toronto compared to his experiences in the United States. He noted that police seemed uncertain about how to manage the hostile crowd. "I think maybe they were waiting for even more men to come before they would be willing to go outside," he said.

Clayton Campbell, president of the Toronto Police Association, acknowledged the challenges faced by officers in such situations. He emphasized the need for clear guidelines for police and demonstrators, while also noting that officers are hesitant to make decisions for fear of repercussions from their superiors. Campbell's comments have sparked discussions about the safety and treatment of Jewish individuals during protests in Toronto.