Toronto police have made an arrest in connection with antisemitic signs that were seen during a demonstration in the middle of a Jewish neighbourhood in North York last month.
Police said that on the afternoon of March 15, a 33-year-old man joined a demonstration at the intersection of Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue West.
He allegedly displayed an antisemitic sign and, during the demonstration, marched toward a group of pro-Israel supporters and shouted derogatory slurs.
On Thursday, members of the Hate Crime Unit executed a search warrant and arrested the man, identified as Muhammad Anas Sial of Toronto.
He has been charged with public incitement of hatred.
In addition to his arrest, police said they also carried out a number of search warrants early Thursday morning at residences and a self-storage unit across the city.
“The signs that were displayed on March 15 were seized along with other evidence,” police said, adding that officers also seized phones and laptops from suspects and persons of interest.
Images from the March 15 protest that were posted on social media showed demonstrators holding signs that depict Jews variously as gaunt monsters with long noses coming out of the ground and as rats.
“This is an active and ongoing criminal investigation,” police said.
Chief @TPSMyronDemkiw announces arrest for Public Incitement of Hatred at a recent demonstration at Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue West.
— Toronto Police (@TorontoPolice) April 2, 2026
News release: https://t.co/qEG8NtDrIZ pic.twitter.com/kgI8y8VyRM
In the weeks following the incident, Toronto police banned demonstrators from entering residential streets in the Bathurst and Sheppard Avenue West area.
Toronto police said that demonstrations in residential neighbourhoods present “an unacceptable risk to public safety.”
“This is a targeted response to specific concerns and a measured step to reduce the risk of escalation and maintain public safety,” they said last week.
With files from Joshua Freeman
