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Tens of thousands of people took part in an annual fundraising walk for Israel in Toronto on Sunday.
The Walk with Israel, organized by the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) Federation of Greater Toronto, was intended to be a demonstration of “unwavering support for the people of Israel, especially now as they continue living through conflict, evacuations, and significant unease,” organizers said on the walk’s website.
Toronto police had promised an increased presence at the walk. Officers arrested four people, before and after the walk.
Ahead of the event, organizers said they were expecting a similar turnout to last year. An estimated 56,000 people took part in the walk in 2025.
The 3.9 kilometre walk began at Temple Sinai Congregation of Toronto on Wilson Avenue, then travelled northbound on Bathurst Street and ended at UJA’s Sherman Campus for the festival portion of the event.
Police set up barriers along route
A woman was arrested for obstructing a peace officer at Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue W. at 8:40 a.m., before the walk began, Toronto police said in a social media post on Sunday.
Less than two hours later, at around 10:20 a.m., a man was arrested for assaulting a peace officer at Earl Bales Park near the same intersection, police said.
Shortly after 11 a.m., Toronto police say a man was arrested for operating a drone in the same area and ticketed under Canadian aviation regulations.
Later, at 11:45 a.m., a woman was arrested for breaching the peace, police added.
Barriers were set up at major intersections along the route. At one point during the walk, participants and counter-protesters were hurling insults at each other, separated by dozens of police officers and barricades.
Police presence ‘very significant,’ chief says
Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw, who attended the walk, told reporters on Sunday before the event that the police presence would be “very significant.”
“You will see obviously a lot of overt assets in place, wearing uniforms and many different types of uniforms, with different types of equipment. Of course, we also have many things happening that you will not see to ensure that we keep this walk safe,” Demkiw said.
“Our hope is that we have a peaceful march. It’s a permanent event and we hope it goes off without incident, no injuries and it occurs peacefully.”
On Friday, Toronto Police Service Deputy Chief Frank Barredo told reporters that police will have officers on foot, on bicycles and on horseback. He also said there would be officers with helmets and long guns, as well as hostile vehicle mitigation devices and undercover police along the route.
Barredo said police have a robust plan at Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue W., where protesters congregated last year.
Officers from York, Durham, Peel Regions and the Ontario Provincial Police were expected to be there.
The walk came amid an increase in antisemitic incidents in Toronto since the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and subsequent war on Gaza.
This was the 57th year that the walk will be held in Toronto. While many marchers carried Israeli flags, some Iranian and American flags could be seen in the crowd.
Road closures are in effect for the walk at Wilson Avenue and Avenue Road, west on Wilson Avenue to Bathurst Street and north on Bathurst Street to Ellerslie Avenue, police said. The closures will be in effect until 4 p.m.