TORONTO - British firebrand politician George Galloway donned a pair of red mittens and clenched his fists Sunday, challenging Canada's immigration minister to a high-noon style boxing showdown.

Galloway, who said he fought in his youth, wore the mittens as if they were boxing gloves and urged Jason Kenney to "go five rounds with me."

"Jason Kenney, you can run, but you can't hide," Galloway said to cheers from boisterous crowd of 500 spectators who packed a Toronto church to hear him speak.

The cheers from the balcony were often so loud they drowned out Galloway's forceful voice. The audience members stood up to give him several standing ovations.

Galloway also challenged Kenney to a public debate and said he would be prepared to stand outside the minister's constituency office in Calgary, and follow Kenney across Canada until he gets one.

He said his lawyers were processing papers to make good on a threat to sue Kenney alleging he was slandered in front of the world by branding him a terrorist.

"Let me make this clear, I am not, nor have I ever been a terrorist or a supporter of terrorism or any kind of security threat to Canada," he said.

"But I think I am a threat to Jason Kenney's political career, and I intend to continue to be so until he's gone."

He said it was ludicrous to believe that any terrorist could serve nearly 25 years in British Parliament as he did.

Galloway said Kenney's allegations caused him "18 months of hell" and threatened his personal security.

The former British MP accused Canada of leaking information about him to the British tabloids, and said he learned he was not welcome in Canada from headlines while he was packing for his trip.

Kenney pulled the welcome mat on Galloway last year because of the former British MP's alleged financial support to the Palestinian group Hamas, which the federal government considers a terrorist organization.

Galloway was planning to come to Canada for a speaking tour, but decided not to because he thought there was little chance he would be admitted.

The Federal Court of Canada turned down an appeal from Galloway's supporters, but criticized the way the Conservative government dealt with him.

Immigration officers allowed him into Canada on Saturday evening after a one-hour interview.

"I intend to seek redress," Galloway said in his speech.

"And any redress I will spend it on building a massive anti-war movement here in Canada."

"I am not, nor have I ever been a supporter of Hamas, but I am a supporter of democracy," he said.

Galloway was only in Canada for one day, and said he was heading to Damascus to join a large convoy to Gaza "whether Jason Kenney likes it or not, whether Israel likes it or not."

He promised to return in November for a 12 day, 10 city tour including stops in Vancouver, Yellowknife, Calgary, Montreal and Quebec City.

"That's five more cities than I originally intended to visit, and I'm sure that the audiences will be at least twice as big," he said.