Former New Brunswick education and early childhood development minister Dominic Cardy said he was arrested on Thursday for chanting “free Palestine from Hamas” to anti-Israel protestors in Toronto. While Cardy had been arrested, he said his parents taught him to never be a bystander. “That's never been more important than this week, with synagogues burning,” tweeted Cardy on Friday..Cardy had showed up at the anti-Israel protest to counteract the protestors showing their displeasure with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s death. “Free Palestine from Hamas,” he said..Anti-Israel protestors said they wanted to shut it down. One protestor mocked him because sweat was dripping from his body. While the protestors continued to chant, he said he wanted to free Palestine from Hamas. Cardy went on to say he had woken up from a nap to hear hundreds of anti-Israel protestors upset about Haniyeh’s death on their way to block Yonge-Dundas Square. In response, he said he walked that way. He said a Toronto Police Service (TPS) officer approached him as he was chanting. The TPS officer asked him to leave. He declined to leave, and the officer walked away. While he was saying free Palestine from Hamas, he said he received multiple threats and a kick from protestors.TPS returned and when he made clear he would not leave, he was arrested for disturbing the peace. This was despite the crowd planning on burning an Israeli flag one metre away from him. Some masked protestors wore Hamas assassination symbols and T-shirts. However, TPS offered them protection. Cardy continued by saying TPS was professional and courteous. He said his complaint “is not with them, but with the political cowards who arrest peaceful democrats and not the terror enthusiasts who seize our streets at will — this all in the name of ‘tolerance.’”He refused to agree to avoid future protests. After being booked, he said he took a nap in the holding cell when he was released after a few hours without charges or conditions. Cardy concluded by calling for Canadians to not stand by. “It's time for standing up,” he said.“Step up against extremism.”TPS media relations officer Stephanie Sayer responded by saying Cardy was arrested on Thursday at the demonstration for breach of the peace and was released without charges. “He was engaging in confrontational behavior towards other demonstrators and failing to comply with police directives,” said Sayer. TPS said in January it had made arrests in a mischief investigation related to a pro-Palestine protest in the Eaton Centre. READ MORE: Toronto police charge two people over pro-Palestine protest in Eaton CentreIn December, TPS said it was in the area of Yonge and Shuter Street for a pro-Palestine demonstration. It said the two men were blocking an entrance to a store and stopping employees from closing it. It alleged one man began pushing security and trying to gain entry into the store.
Former New Brunswick education and early childhood development minister Dominic Cardy said he was arrested on Thursday for chanting “free Palestine from Hamas” to anti-Israel protestors in Toronto. While Cardy had been arrested, he said his parents taught him to never be a bystander. “That's never been more important than this week, with synagogues burning,” tweeted Cardy on Friday..Cardy had showed up at the anti-Israel protest to counteract the protestors showing their displeasure with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s death. “Free Palestine from Hamas,” he said..Anti-Israel protestors said they wanted to shut it down. One protestor mocked him because sweat was dripping from his body. While the protestors continued to chant, he said he wanted to free Palestine from Hamas. Cardy went on to say he had woken up from a nap to hear hundreds of anti-Israel protestors upset about Haniyeh’s death on their way to block Yonge-Dundas Square. In response, he said he walked that way. He said a Toronto Police Service (TPS) officer approached him as he was chanting. The TPS officer asked him to leave. He declined to leave, and the officer walked away. While he was saying free Palestine from Hamas, he said he received multiple threats and a kick from protestors.TPS returned and when he made clear he would not leave, he was arrested for disturbing the peace. This was despite the crowd planning on burning an Israeli flag one metre away from him. Some masked protestors wore Hamas assassination symbols and T-shirts. However, TPS offered them protection. Cardy continued by saying TPS was professional and courteous. He said his complaint “is not with them, but with the political cowards who arrest peaceful democrats and not the terror enthusiasts who seize our streets at will — this all in the name of ‘tolerance.’”He refused to agree to avoid future protests. After being booked, he said he took a nap in the holding cell when he was released after a few hours without charges or conditions. Cardy concluded by calling for Canadians to not stand by. “It's time for standing up,” he said.“Step up against extremism.”TPS media relations officer Stephanie Sayer responded by saying Cardy was arrested on Thursday at the demonstration for breach of the peace and was released without charges. “He was engaging in confrontational behavior towards other demonstrators and failing to comply with police directives,” said Sayer. TPS said in January it had made arrests in a mischief investigation related to a pro-Palestine protest in the Eaton Centre. READ MORE: Toronto police charge two people over pro-Palestine protest in Eaton CentreIn December, TPS said it was in the area of Yonge and Shuter Street for a pro-Palestine demonstration. It said the two men were blocking an entrance to a store and stopping employees from closing it. It alleged one man began pushing security and trying to gain entry into the store.
