A solidarity march is being held this morning in support of a Muslim woman who police say was attacked while walking to pick up her son from a public school in Flemingdon Park earlier this week.
On Monday afternoon, police say the woman was on her way to Grenoble Public School when she was reportedly attacked by two men who pulled off her hijab, assaulted her and hurled racist and derogatory comments at her.
Mohan Doss, of the Thorncliffe Park Neighbourhood Office, is one of the people who organized the march and he told CP24 Thursday that dozens of children have not returned to school since the incident Monday.
“Their parents are scared and in most cases the mother or someone else from the family has to walk (children) to and from school alone,” he said.
The march began at 10 a.m. Friday and runs from 10 Gateway Boulevard to Grenoble Public School. Doss said he hopes to see people from outside the neighbourhood participate.
“We want this community to know that it's not just their community coming together for them, it's Toronto that is coming together for them."
Students at Ryerson University are also hosting an event today in an effort to spread a positive message and fight Islamophobia.
The Ryerson Muslim Students' Association will be cooking and handing out free pancakes at Yonge-Dundas Square starting at 9 a.m.
Radwan Al-Nachawati, president of the Ryerson Muslim Students' Association, said the subject of the group's weekly Friday prayer session at Lake Devo is "protecting our Canadian values during tough times."
-With files from Chris Herhalt
