Toronto Bylaw Consultation - It's Time to Take Back Our City - Make Your Voices Heard

If you share my deep concern about the ongoing protests that have taken place in Toronto over the past 18 months, I just have one message for you: 

Make your voice heard by participating in the City of Toronto’s survey on safe access zones.  

For more than a year, our Jewish community has endured protests targeting our places of worship, schools, and institutions that serve our children, seniors, and other vulnerable individuals. These demonstrations, which have included hateful chants, signs, and antisemitic rhetoric such as “From the River to the Sea,” “Jews Go Back to Europe,” and “Intifada Revolution,” have been relentless. The fear and distress caused by these threats have left many in our community feeling unsafe while in or near these vital spaces. 

This is something that no community should tolerate.   

Over this time, we have called repeatedly on our elected leaders to take action against these targeted protests. Sadly, progress has been slow, and the lack of response has only emboldened those behind these protests to continue to attack our community. We say enough is enough. 

While the rights to freedom of expression and assembly are a cornerstone of Canadian democracy, these rights are not unlimited. They are subject to reasonable limitations to protect the safety and well-being of all communities and citizens.  

In December 2024, Toronto City Council directed staff to report in early 2025 with a proposed by-law focused on safeguarding vulnerable institutions, such as places of worship, faith-based schools, and cultural centres. Unfortunately, as we were disheartened to learn, the city has delayed this process at a time when it is critically needed. 

Despite their commitment, we have not seen sufficient recognition of the issue from our Mayor or City Council – certainly not enough to prioritize this matter. In contrast, other cities have acted swiftly, implementing by-laws that create safe access zones to protect faith-based institutions from disruptive protests. 

Earlier this week, the City launched an online survey to gather input on the development of the proposed by-law. This is your opportunity to share your experiences with demonstrations in Toronto and make your voice heard. Public discussions on this issue will also take place in April, and the survey will be open until May 1, 2025.  

Our position is clear: a safe access zone by-law is vital for the safety of the Jewish community. 

Our collective power to create change depends on our participation. I encourage you to fill out the survey and share it with others – both members of our community or allies.  

By participating, you will help ensure that the Jewish community has a strong voice in shaping this important by-law as city staff move forward with its development. 

Thank you for your commitment to protecting our community and joining us in our fight to stand up for what’s right.