A 41-year-old man from Thunder Bay, Ont., is facing multiple charges in connection with a Canada Day assault that police say may have been racially motivated, with the city’s hate crime unit taking over the investigation.
The Thunder Bay Police Service announced the charges more than two weeks after officers responded to reports of an assault in the area of Villa Street and Cumberland Street North in the city area shortly after 12:45 p.m. on July 1.
The accused faces three counts of assault, one count of assault causing bodily harm, uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, and causing a disturbance.
Police said the man was remanded into custody following his first court appearance.
Police initially arrested one suspect on July 1 and charged him with assault, but at the time said the investigation would continue as the hate crime unit would be engaged.
“A victim received treatment from EMS and was transported to a local hospital for further treatment of injuries that can be described as non-life threatening,” said police in a news release July 16.
Family targeted with anti-Muslim slurs, advocacy group says
The Anti-Racism Program of the Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East Foundation (ARPCF) has identified the victims as a Palestinian Muslim family and said the attack unfolded while a man of Palestinian descent was walking with his wife, two young children and his 63-year-old mother.
According to the advocacy group, the family was allegedly targeted with anti-Muslim slurs and obscenities, including “f*** Muslims,” before the incident escalated into violence.
“This attack must be understood as both Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism,” the group said in a statement emailed to media on July 17.
The group said the family was targeted while two women in the family were visibly Muslim, but added the incident occurred in a climate where Palestinians and those perceived to be Palestinian, Arab, or Muslim are increasingly treated as legitimate targets of hostility.
“Such violence does not emerge in isolation; it is enabled by public discourse that dehumanizes Palestinians and normalizes suspicion toward Muslim communities,” said Jamila Ewais, the program’s lead researcher.
Police thank the public
The Thunder Bay Police Service thanked community members for assisting with the investigation through the submission of cellphone and security camera footage.
The service had previously acknowledged a string of social media posts and comments regarding the assault that may have been racially motivated.
“Every person has a right to feel safe in our community and the Thunder Bay Police Service remains committed to investigating any allegations or reports that a person has been targeted based on hate or bias,” said police in an earlier release.
Advocacy group calls for broader response
The ARPCF said it welcomed the involvement of the hate crime unit and has called for a thorough, transparent and trauma-informed investigation.
“The assault of a Palestinian Muslim family walking with children and an elderly parent is a horrifying reminder that anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia have real and immediate consequences for families in Canada,” the group’s statement said.
The organization has also urged public officials at all levels to condemn the incident clearly and to recognize the structural nature of anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia, adding that protecting affected communities requires sustained public education, stronger anti-racism policies and stronger supports for victims.
