Toronto (July 6, 2020) - Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) denounces a series of hate-filled anti-Israel protests that took place across Canada over the past week, including one in Mississauga where protesters were filmed chanting "Jews are our dogs."

The anti-Israel protests, which took place in Toronto and Mississauga over the weekend following similar protests in other cities, included protesters making false claims about Israel and Zionism, promoting the antisemitic BDS movement and calling for ‘intifada,’ which refers to a violent uprising against the Jewish state.

In response to the protest in Mississauga where protesters chanted "Palestine is our country and the Jews are our dogs," FSWC reached out to Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie calling on the mayor to speak out publicly against the hate that was spewed at the protest and send a clear message that the city will not permit such antisemitism and other forms of hatred.

"These protesters disguise themselves as being critics of Israel’s political policies, but in reality these protests are extremely antisemitic and promote hate, violence and the destruction of Israel and its Jewish people," said Rabbi Meyer May, Executive Director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

"It is unbelievable that to this day, in diverse cities like Toronto and Mississauga, we are repeatedly witnessing blatant antisemitism rear its ugly head, even in public places," said Jaime Kirzner-Roberts, Director of FSWC's Campaign Against Antisemitism. “We call on political leaders across the country to send a clear message to their communities that hate groups that promote violent and derogatory messages towards Jews or any other people will not be tolerated.”

Antisemitic chants at the Mississauga protest were captured on video by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. The full video can be seen here.

Photo credit: Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs