"To accuse someone at a pro-Palestine rally of doing a “Nazi salute” but not confirm it fuels hate, feeds into stereotypes of pro-Palestinian supporters and promotes anti-Palestinian racism. It does not have a place in responsible and fair journalism."
Dear Mr. Spurr, Ms. MacIntyre and Mr. Vincent,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) regarding the Toronto Star article, that was published on April 5, 2026.
There was much to be appreciated about your article including your mention of anti-Palestinian signage at an earlier pro-Israel rally, your inclusion of comments by Deputy Chief Barredo as to the police’s responsibility to balance public safety with charter rights and freedom to protest and your example of Ariel Gershon advocating for a “peaceful solution”. Thank you as well for naming Jewish Defense League as an extremist organization.
Our primary critique with the article is with the following sentence: "At another, a protester in a Blue Jays jersey, their face covered by a kaffiyeh, appeared to turn and deliver a Nazi salute."
The Canadian Association Journal Ethics state that "[Journalists] take particular care … to ensure reporting does not perpetuate stereotypes, remove the presumption of innocence or pose harm to the vulnerable." The use of ‘appeared to’ suggests that Mr. Spurr ‘thought’ he saw the salute but was not 100% sure. Pro-Palestine protesters have been previously threatened in this neighbourhood by Jewish Defense League members, Eli Schwarz and Gabriella Bodis - Ms. Bodis for making threats with corrosive chemicals and Mr. Schwarz for uttering threats.
To accuse someone at a pro-Palestine rally of doing a “Nazi salute” but not confirm it fuels hate, feeds into stereotypes of pro-Palestinian supporters and promotes anti-Palestinian racism. It does not have a place in responsible and fair journalism.
I urge Toronto Star to reframe the sentence or remove it in order to align with the CAJ ethics guidelines and standards of fairness.
Sincerely,
Debbie Hubbard
Kelowna, British Columbia