The Toronto Al Quds committee has issued Ontario Premier Doug Ford with a cease and desist after he allegedly made repeated defamatory statements about the city’s Al Quds event.
In a public address on March 13, Ford accused the event of being antisemetic and a source of violence.
“This demonstration is nothing more than a breeding ground for hate and antisemitism. It glorifies violence. It celebrates terrorism. It has no place in Ontario. It has no place in Canada,” Ford said.
Al Quds, which is Arabic for Jerusalem, is an annual event held worldwide on the last Friday of the month of Ramadan as a demonstration of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
The event has grown in significance in recent years since Israel’s persistent attack on the Palestinians of Gaza and growing repression in the West Bank.
Doug Ford tries to cancel Al Quds
Ford had tried to have the Toronto Al Quds event cancelled altogether by asking the Ontario Attorney General to file a court injunction against the event, a motion that was denied by a judge of Ontario’s Superior Court on the day of the event, March 14, allowing it to go ahead.
In finding that the event could go ahead, Justice Robert Centa said that there was no historical evidence of violence at the annual Toronto Al Quds day protests.
“There is no evidence in the record that there were criminal charges arising out of last year’s Al Quds rally in Toronto, or at the rallies in any of the prior 30 years. There is no evidence that participants at last year’s rally incited hatred or engaged in hate speech. There is no evidence before me of any criminality arising out of this rally in the past, much less evidence that could satisfy me that there is a ‘strong case’ that there will be criminal activity this year,” his statement reads.
The Toronto Al-Quds event this year was also peaceful, save for two men who were counter-protesting the event who were each arrested on assault charges.
Other groups like the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) called out the premier for trying to violate the Charter Rights of Canadian citizens through his attempt to stop the Al-Quds day event.
“Seeking to shut down an entire protest before it has even begun is an extraordinary and dangerous step. It is a pre-emptive attack on freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly, both of which are fundamental Charter-protected freedoms in a democratic society,” a statement from the CCLA reads.
Ford asked to apologize or face further legal actions
In the notice of libel sent to Premier Ford on March 18, lawyer Stephen Ellis demanded that he retract and apologize for his statements.
“Please note that these published statements have done and continue to do serious harm to the Al Quds Committee’s reputation,” Ellis’ letter reads.
Ellis is asking Ford for the following on behalf of the Al Quds committee:
(1) The Al Quds Committee demands that you immediately remove the defamatory video and post from all print and social media;
(2) The Al Quds Committee demands that you immediately cease and desist from publishing the defamatory remarks as described above.
(3) The Al Quds Committee demands an immediate retraction and the publication of an unequivocal apology in all media where these statements have been made, and in a form and content that is acceptable to the Al Quds Committee.
(4) This letter shall serve as notice for the purposes of section 5(1) of the Libel and Slander Act.
(5) A legal proceeding shall follow in defamation pursuant to the Libel and Slander Act.
Ford is being given seven days from the date of the letter to retract and apologize for his statements or risk further legal action.
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