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The mood was celebratory on the rooftop of Toronto City Hall on Monday morning, as dozens of people gathered in the nice weather to see the Palestinian flag fly above the building for the first time.
The International Justice Center for Palestinians, which requested the measure, said before the flag raising that it would mark a “symbolic show of solidarity” for Palestinians in Canada on the 37th anniversary of the Palestinian Declaration of Independence.
On the rooftop, supporters joined in chants of “Free and Free Palestine” and lined up to take a photo with the flag before it was raised Monday morning, calling it a historic moment.
Down in Nathan Phillips Square, several dozen supporters also gathered to watch the flag being raised, while some pro-Israel demonstrators also stood up to protest.
A person was arrested in the square on Monday morning for “assault with a weapon and [administering a] harmful substance,” Toronto police said in a social media post after the flag raising.
Investigators said in an email to CBC News on Monday afternoon that the demonstration was “related to the flag-raising” and said the person sprayed something that “smelled terrible but fortunately was not irritating” at other protesters.
No injuries have been reported and police said more information will be provided in a news release.
Court order to block flag dismissed in court
CIJP attorney Shane Martinez called the flag raising “fantastic” once it was displayed at City Hall.
“I am very happy for the Palestinian community. This is something that should have been done a long time ago,” he said.
The flag-raising came after an Ontario court this morning dismissed an injunction application brought by a pro-Israel group, the Tafsik Organization, which argued that the event supports groups responsible for “inciting violence” against the Jewish community.
Martinez said his group learned of the court order filed by Tafsik on Friday and spent the weekend preparing presentations to ensure the flag could be raised. He said the group’s demand for an injunction lacked “any merit.”
“It was based on anti-Palestinian tropes, demonstrable falsehoods and really lacked any evidence to support the claim that raising the flag would in any way harm the city of Toronto. What we know today from the celebration we saw is that it has actually done a lot for the city,” Martinez said.
Tafsik did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Canadian Press.
The flying of the Palestinian flag in Toronto follows moves by other cities, including Mississauga, Ont., Brampton, Ont., and Calgary, which flew the flag over the weekend.
Manitoba also flew the Palestinian flag in front of its provincial legislature on Saturday.
The City of Toronto’s flag policy states that flags of other countries can be flown at City Hall on national days or special anniversaries, and dozens of flags, including Israel’s, are flown each year.
Along with its close allies Australia and the United Kingdom, Canada officially recognized the State of Palestine in September.
The recognition came amid an international push to end violence that began with a Hamas-led attack in Israel that killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostage on October 7, 2023.
Since then, Palestinian health officials say more than 69,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory offensive against Hamas.
