A man who attended a pro-Palestinian demonstration in downtown Toronto was arrested and charged with mischief after he allegedly ignited a smoke canister near an Israeli-owned restaurant, prompting patrons to flee the patio area.
Authorities say the man was part of a large group of people who were walking in the area of University Avenue and Adelaide Street West on Thursday at approximately 6:29 p.m.
The Toronto Police Service (TPS) says the demonstrators stopped marching and paused in front of a business where customers were seated on the patio.
“A man involved in the demonstration ignited a flare, producing thick smoke that prompted patio customers to leave the area,” TPS wrote in a press release issued Friday.
Videos posted to social media appear to show a man with a Keffiyeh over his head, igniting a smoke canister just steps away from the patio at Café Landwer, an Israeli restaurant chain that has received criticism for its ties to the Israeli military and for allegedly building a café over a Muslim cemetery.
Patrons were visibly bothered by the smoke and some were spotted retreating inside for a reprieve.
One woman came out of the restaurant to shout at the police. “Why aren’t you stopping them?” she yelled.
Officers were filmed giving a verbal warning to the man who ignited the smoke canister. However, he was eventually arrested.
Police have identified the man as 38-year-old Shahrez Hydri of Beeton. He was charged with one count of mischief and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice on Thursday, June 26, 2025.
Demonstrators were out on May 15 to commemorate the anniversary of the “Nakba” — Arabic for “the Catastrophe” — when some 700,000 Palestinians were expelled by Israeli forces or fled their homes as a result of the 1948 war that led to the creation of the state of Israel.
– With files from The Canadian Press.
