Toronto police say their presence at places of worship in the city will remain “heightened and visible” following an attack in Boulder, Colo. on Sunday that the FBI is investigating as an act of terror.
In a post on social media, Toronto police said it is aware of the incident in the western state, which saw a man armed with a makeshift flamethrower and Molotov cocktails attack a group of people that was raising awareness about Israeli hostages in Gaza. Eight people were injured, and the suspect was arrested.
“Our priority is the well-being and safety or our communities and we continue to maintain a heightened and visible presence at schools, community centres, and places of worship across Toronto,” the service said in a statement.
Toronto police previously ramped up their visibility around those institutions on May 22 following a shooting at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., that left two Israeli Embassy staffers dead. In both the Washington and Boulder attacks, the suspects shouted, “Free Palestine.”
North of the city, police in York Region say they will “maintain a heightened presence” at places of worship and faith-based community locations in the area “out of an abundance of caution.”
“We stand in solidarity with all communities impacted by acts of violence and remain committed to ensuring a safe and inclusive region for everyone,” York Regional Police said in a tweet.
Halton Regional Police told CTV News Toronto that they too are increasing patrols around synagogues and other places of worship.
In a post on X, Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca called the attack in Colorado “horrifying,” and called for “stronger laws and meaningful enforcement at every level of government” to protect Jewish residents.
Both York Region and Toronto have passed so-called “bubble zone” bylaws to protect places of worship from protests that impede access to those institutions.
Toronto police have said reports of antisemtic incidents in the city surged following the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict on Oct. 7, 2023, which left 1,200 people dead. Israel’s military response has killed over 54,000 people in Hamas-run Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The Toronto Police Service Board’s annual hate crime report released last month showed that hate crimes in the city increased by 19 per cent in 2024, with Jewish people listed as among the most frequent targets. So far in 2025, the report suggests, hate crimes are down 47 per cent.
With files from The Associated Press
