A Jewish-owned delicatessen in Toronto was intentionally set on fire in what law enforcement is treating as a hate crime.
The incident occurred at International Delicatessen Foods, located in the northern part of Canada’s largest city. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries, according to local Toronto media.
Toronto Police Staff Superintendent Pauline Gray emphasized that the arson attack is considered a criminal act and cannot be justified as a lawful protest. Gray stated, “It’s criminal. It’s violent, targeted, and organized. We’ll utilize all available resources to investigate, apprehend, and prosecute those responsible.”
“I’ve been a criminal investigator the vast majority of my career, and in most of those criminal investigations, there was a tipping point. This is this tipping point,” Gray said.
“This is not graffiti on a bus shelter. This is not lawful protest protected by constitutional right. This is a criminal act. It is violent, it is targeted, it is organized, and it will receive the weight of the Toronto Police Service to exactly what it deserves,” Gray continued. “We will leave no stone unturned. We will use all the resources available to us to investigate, arrest and prosecute who is responsible for this.”
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow also weighed in on social media, expressing that “acts of antisemitism, hate, and violence are not welcome here.”
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