Adedokun Waliyu 
The Ford government filed a court injunction Saturday morning to pre-emptively halt an Al-Quds Day rally planned to take place this afternoon in Toronto.
A hearing into the matter began just after 12 p.m. The Honourable Justice Robert Centa is presiding over the case.
Below is an earlier version of this story. Check back shortly for updates.
Ford said he had directed Attorney General Doug Downey to pursue an injunction to stop the annual rally from happening.
“Hate, violence and intimidation have no place on the streets of Canada and our government will fight it however we can,” he wrote in a social media post.
It comes after two Toronto councillors released a statement calling for the city’s lawyers to file an injunction to stop the event.
Councillors Brad Bradford and James Pasternak also called on Mayor Olivia Chow to condemn the gathering.
Al-Quds Day is an annual event held on the last Friday of Ramadan, established in 1979 by Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The day is intended to express solidarity with Palestinians and opposition to Israel’s control of Jerusalem.
In Toronto, the event has been held for more than a decade and often draws a mix of community groups, activists, and counter‑protesters.
In the statement, Bradford and Pasternak said the annual march is “known for inciting violence and anti-Semitism.”
“Protesters must be prevented from blocking ambulance routes and targeting businesses owned by members of the Jewish community and other minority groups,” said Bradford in the release. “Torontonians deserve to go about their daily lives in peace and security without hate and demonization.”
Pasternak later thanked Ford in a social media post for pursuing the injunction. “We must continue working together to keep communities safe,” read the post.
Michelle Stock, Vice President for Ontario’s Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, released a statement, saying the province’s decision to seek an injunction “reflects the seriousness of the threat facing our communities.”
“We commend the Premier and the provincial government for taking decisive action to protect public safety and for recognizing the seriousness of the situation. We hope the court will carefully consider the significant risks to community safety when making its decision,” read her statement.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) said they were deeply concerned by the premier’s announcement.
“Let us be clear: the Premier does not need a court injunction to enforce the law. If there are credible threats, acts of violence, intimidation, criminal harassment, property damage, or any other unlawful conduct, police already have broad powers under the Criminal Code to respond,” read a statement from Anaïs Bussières McNicoll, Director of the Fundamental Freedoms Program.
They added trying to shut down a protest before it has even begun is “an extraordinary and dangerous step.”
“It is a pre-emptive attack on freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly, both of which are fundamental Charter-protected freedoms in a democratic society,” she continued.
The Al-Quds Day walk is scheduled for Saturday at 3 p.m.
Toronto police outlined their security plans Thursday and urged those attending to do so peacefully.
“We’re asking everyone who plans to attend… to do so lawfully and respectfully,” said Superintendent Craig Young. “Within the last two weeks, there has been violence targeting three synagogues in the GTA, as well as the attack on the U.S. Consulate on Tuesday.”
The airspace above the U.S. Consulate will also be closed to all drones.
Authorities said roughly 3,000 people attended the demonstration in March 2025, which caused traffic disruptions in parts of the city.
With files from the Canadian Press and CityNews’ Meredith Bond, Lucas Casaletto and Denio Lourenco.
