The safety of a young Jewish student was at risk walking to school, prompting the community to gather around him and act as protection.
Calls for a community support walk were posted Friday morning, about an hour before a student was set to walk to school.
The young Jewish elementary school student was repeatedly attacked by his schoolmates. He allegedly received death threats that included threats “to do to him what Hamas did to Israel.” The boy had experienced having rocks thrown at him on his way to school, according to the post calling for the community’s help.
“Our community must act… If the school can’t keep our kids safe, we will,” read the post.
The post to X confirmed that the young boy’s parents had asked for help.
The walk was set to take place about an hour after the post was published. Despite this, approximately 150 people showed up to walk the student to school and act as protection.
“Simply being a Jewish child is now a safety risk in Canada,” read the post.
The community walk was focused on ensuring the child’s safety and tried to avoid making a scene.
“Please NO megaphones, NO flags. This is about our children’s safety,” read the post.
Among the approximately 150 people who showed up was Solicitor General of Ontario Michael Kirzner, who addressed the crowd outside the school.
“I’m not going to be afraid of being a Jew. And I will never tolerate anybody harming our children in schools. This is completely unacceptable,” said Kirzner.
Kirzner promised to call Ontario’s Minister of Education, Stephen Lecce as soon as he left the school. He also said he would reach out to the Toronto District School Board chair, who he said had some explaining to do.
“I will stand with everybody in my riding in the entire Jewish community. I will stand up against antisemitism every single day,” said Kirzner.
He added that looking around, he saw a community of Jews and non-Jews that had banded together.
“This is a community of people that understand decency. Understand that it’s our children that are our future, and we’re not going to abandon them,” concluded Kirzner.
Before departing, the community members who walked the student to school gathered in front and sang “O Canada.”
University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist said that this school was a six-minute walk from where he lived as a young child in Toronto.
“Unimaginable to think that Jewish kids are no longer safe in the neighbourhood and at the local school,” said Geist.
The community walk comes just weeks after a 14-year-old Israeli student was brutally attacked near her high school in Fredericton.
While Kirzner appeared for the march, so too did Independent MP Kevin Vuong, who criticized the riding’s Liberal and Jewish MP, Ya’ara Saks, for being absent.
“There are Toronto MPs who do stand with you. And while yours may not, I do,” said Vuong.
Saks has been criticized previously for holding hands with holocaust denier and Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas.
“In the middle of a pandemic (Prime Minister Justin Trudeau) emerged to take a knee with (Black Lives Matter) protesters. Where is he now? Why won’t he stand with Jewish parents?” asked retired CTV journalist Alan Fryer.