The Toronto Police Service (TPS) launched an investigation into the LED-light, pro-Canada messages flashing from a billboard truck, and it was revealed the truck belongs to Rebel News. Once the TPS posted to social media the “hate crime” was being investigated, Rebel boss Ezra Levant published a news release stating ownership of the truck. A local community activist organization called "Canadians Opposed to the Occupation of our Streets and Campuses,” which initially attempted to remain anonymous, contracted Rebel to display their message on its truck. “Is this Lebanon? Is this Yemen? Is this Syria? Is this Iraq?” the truck’s message flashes, showing footage of thousands of Muslims bowing down to Allah and blocking Toronto city streets. “No. This is Canada. Wake up Canada. You are under siege," the message reads. .The truck caused a significant enough splash on social media to draw the attention of local law enforcement, which pledged to get to the bottom of the “hate crime” involving “Islamophobic messaging.”“We recognize the community's concern about a truck displaying Islamophobic messaging in Toronto. The TPS Hate Crime Unit is investigating,” wrote police on social media. A similar billboard truck was spotted in Toronto around the same time, promoting anti-Jewish slogans calling for genocide, such as "From the river to the sea." TPS made no mention of the second truck in their "hate crime" investigation. . If convicted, Rebel boss Ezra Levant faces two years in jail, he said in a news release. “It’s another censorship battle, probably our biggest one ever,” said Levant, explaining the activist group wanted to stay “anonymous because they know they’d face retaliation for speaking out.”“That’s how bad things are these days. The ads just show actual footage of what the pro-Hamas gangs are doing to Toronto — including committing real crimes ignored by the police and politicians. In the case of this particular ad, the images included pro-Hamas gangs shutting down the streets in downtown Toronto.”“Toronto police don’t think the pro-Hamas street gangs themselves are committing hate crimes. They think the ad we ran on our truck is a hate crime. In Trudeau’s Canada, you’re allowed to support terrorism. You’re NOT allowed to criticize terrorism."“It’s really about more than this truck. It’s about cancel culture. And the weaponization of hate speech laws. And two-tier policing.”Levant intends to fight the battle, “because this is Canada, not Gaza. We still have free speech here, for now.”Rebel reporters have been arrested before by the TPS “for asking Hamas supporters questions. "The police hate us because we’re not silent and obedient, which is what they’ve told the Jewish community to be," said Levant..Restauranteur Mohamad Fakih, whose cuisine has been endorsed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, posted to social media he was offering a $25,000 reward to the person who identifies the owner of the truck and messaging. Levant responded that he should get the "Jew-hunting bounty.""It was me. My truck. Now hand over the $25K," he wrote in the comments. .Canada's Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia Amira Elghawaby said the truck’s message sends one of “division and hate.”"Sadly, Islamophobia and now anti-Palestinian racism, anti-Arab racism, these are not new phenomena. The forms that they can take can differ. What is most alarming, of course, is when they lead to Islamophobic, anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab violence," she said, per the CBC. The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) said in a social media post the message is “extremely dangerous.” "This public campaign is pure Islamophobia and hate," said the NCCM.The City of Toronto said in a statement it remains committed to saying no to all forms of discrimination and racism."
The Toronto Police Service (TPS) launched an investigation into the LED-light, pro-Canada messages flashing from a billboard truck, and it was revealed the truck belongs to Rebel News. Once the TPS posted to social media the “hate crime” was being investigated, Rebel boss Ezra Levant published a news release stating ownership of the truck. A local community activist organization called "Canadians Opposed to the Occupation of our Streets and Campuses,” which initially attempted to remain anonymous, contracted Rebel to display their message on its truck. “Is this Lebanon? Is this Yemen? Is this Syria? Is this Iraq?” the truck’s message flashes, showing footage of thousands of Muslims bowing down to Allah and blocking Toronto city streets. “No. This is Canada. Wake up Canada. You are under siege," the message reads. .The truck caused a significant enough splash on social media to draw the attention of local law enforcement, which pledged to get to the bottom of the “hate crime” involving “Islamophobic messaging.”“We recognize the community's concern about a truck displaying Islamophobic messaging in Toronto. The TPS Hate Crime Unit is investigating,” wrote police on social media. A similar billboard truck was spotted in Toronto around the same time, promoting anti-Jewish slogans calling for genocide, such as "From the river to the sea." TPS made no mention of the second truck in their "hate crime" investigation. . If convicted, Rebel boss Ezra Levant faces two years in jail, he said in a news release. “It’s another censorship battle, probably our biggest one ever,” said Levant, explaining the activist group wanted to stay “anonymous because they know they’d face retaliation for speaking out.”“That’s how bad things are these days. The ads just show actual footage of what the pro-Hamas gangs are doing to Toronto — including committing real crimes ignored by the police and politicians. In the case of this particular ad, the images included pro-Hamas gangs shutting down the streets in downtown Toronto.”“Toronto police don’t think the pro-Hamas street gangs themselves are committing hate crimes. They think the ad we ran on our truck is a hate crime. In Trudeau’s Canada, you’re allowed to support terrorism. You’re NOT allowed to criticize terrorism."“It’s really about more than this truck. It’s about cancel culture. And the weaponization of hate speech laws. And two-tier policing.”Levant intends to fight the battle, “because this is Canada, not Gaza. We still have free speech here, for now.”Rebel reporters have been arrested before by the TPS “for asking Hamas supporters questions. "The police hate us because we’re not silent and obedient, which is what they’ve told the Jewish community to be," said Levant..Restauranteur Mohamad Fakih, whose cuisine has been endorsed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, posted to social media he was offering a $25,000 reward to the person who identifies the owner of the truck and messaging. Levant responded that he should get the "Jew-hunting bounty.""It was me. My truck. Now hand over the $25K," he wrote in the comments. .Canada's Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia Amira Elghawaby said the truck’s message sends one of “division and hate.”"Sadly, Islamophobia and now anti-Palestinian racism, anti-Arab racism, these are not new phenomena. The forms that they can take can differ. What is most alarming, of course, is when they lead to Islamophobic, anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab violence," she said, per the CBC. The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) said in a social media post the message is “extremely dangerous.” "This public campaign is pure Islamophobia and hate," said the NCCM.The City of Toronto said in a statement it remains committed to saying no to all forms of discrimination and racism."
