"The situation escalated further at the UTAM headquarters. Despite the students’ peaceful intentions, TPS used excessive force, surrounding and pushing them out through a small door, causing multiple students to be trampled. The officers repeatedly shoved students to the ground, kicked, and punched them. Officers even used their bikes as weapons, and some engaged in egregious acts of violence, including ripping out hair and hijabs."
September 9, 2024
To:
Denio Lourenco, Multimedia journalist, CityNews Toronto
Paul Cook, Managing Editor, CityNews Toronto
Michael Gibbons, Editor, CityNews Toronto
Dear Mr. Lourenco, Mr. Cook, and Mr. Gibbons,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East to provide some information related to the article titled: “Woman charged for assaulting a peace officer at a protest” published on September 8, 2024.
While the article offers limited details on the arrest of someone near a pro-Palestine demonstration, new information has emerged about the events that you refer to at 777 Bay Street on Friday, and these details are critical to include in this article.
On Friday, September 6, Occupy for Palestine organized a back-to-school rally, endorsed by 37 student and community groups, to protest the University of Toronto’s new regressive policy on protesting. This demonstration was aimed at the university’s financial complicity in funding Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Before the rally even began, over 25 Zionist counter-protesters, including members of the Jewish Defense League (JDL, now known also by the name “Israel Now”) and vigilante groups such as Magen Herut and J Force, assembled to intimidate the students. These counter-protesters, many clad in bulletproof vests and military gear, engaged in aggressive acts, including unleashing a large dog on a student’s small dog, shouting racist slurs, and chanting, “Let’s make Gaza a parking lot.”
The situation escalated further at the UTAM headquarters. Despite the students’ peaceful intentions, TPS used excessive force, surrounding and pushing them out through a small door, causing multiple students to be trampled. The officers repeatedly shoved students to the ground, kicked, and punched them. Officers even used their bikes as weapons, and some engaged in egregious acts of violence, including ripping out hair and hijabs.
Notably, Officer G. Chang, known for his involvement in the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet, targeted a black female student, leaving her with severe injuries. Approximately 13 students were pepper-sprayed, necessitating paramedic intervention.
I am urgently requesting that CityNews update its coverage to include the students’ perspective and the documented instances of police brutality.
Thank you for your immediate attention to this critical matter.
Sincerely,
Lynn Naji
Junior Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East