Toronto Bans Protests on Residential Streets

It's March 24. From your city to your ears, this is Canada News Today, powered by AI. I'm

Cory with the story. Toronto police have banned protests on residential streets around

Bathurst and Shepard after more than two years of demonstrations spilling into. Jewish

neighborhoods, the move comms amid rising tensions from recent synagogue shootings in the greater

Toronto area and escalating conflict in the Middle East. Officers made it clear this past

Sunday that no flags, signs or face coverings are allowed on those side streets to protect

public safety. Earlier this week, police spokesperson Nadine Ramadan explained that the changing

security landscape, including heightened fear in communities, made it too risky for

crowds to answer homes and backstreet. This follows over 50 rounds of gunfire targeted

at synagogues, raising worries about potential violence like what happened in Sydney years

ago. Local reactions have been mostly positive, especially from Councillor James Pasternak,

whose push for this restriction since the protests began. After October 7, 2023, he

called it overdue, but a welcome step to stop harassment of residents. For years, counter

protesters often face the risks while the main groups took over corners without permits.

Protests can still happen at the main Bathurst and Shepard intersection and along those

key roads, but enforcement is now strict to prevent. Escalation. Inspector Israel Bernardo

laid out the rules plainly to demonstrators, warning that incitement or trespassing won't

be tolerated. Police chief Myron Demkew has ramped up patrols with more officers and

cars city-wide to handle any uptick in activity, signaling a shift from past, leniency toward

firmer crowd control.