Toronto Police Stir Controversy by Delivering Coffee to Pro-Palestinian Protesters
Police in Toronto sparked controversy when they personally delivered coffee to pro-Palestinian protesters on January 6, triggering criticism from lawmakers, media outlets, and on social media.
Footage posted by Caryma Sa’d shows police officers delivering a take-away box from Tim Hortons, while the recorder asks the protester “How did you get coffee from the police?” The protester then replies, “Not the police. Someone has bought it for us, but the police won’t let them in, so the police are now becoming our little messengers between us. I don’t know, I have no idea what’s going on.”
Anthony Housefather, an MP for Mount Royal, said the move was a “very poor decision”, while Marco Mendicino, MP for Eglinton, said: “Good intentions aside, police serving coffee and food to protestors will just embolden more deliberate obstruction of traffic, undermine public safety, and add to local frustrations.”
The Toronto Sun devoted its front page to the incident, calling it a policing “double standard”.
Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw issued a statement addressing the concerns raised. “Whatever the intent, the impact has been to cause concern and for that I am sorry,” he said. A police spokesperson told CBC that the statement was in response to the coffee video.
The Toronto Police had earlier closed the overpass, at Avenue Road, due to concerns about public safety. Credit: Caryma Sa’d via Storyful
Video Transcript
- --left. No one told him he can't come back. Otherwise, he would've said, OK, I understand.
- OK, I'll just ask [INAUDIBLE].
- I accept.
- So--
[INAUDIBLE]
- Sir, it's the-- it's the person with the vest.
- Jihad?
- Yeah. [INAUDIBLE]?
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
- I let the guy know.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
- The guy in the yellow vest walking in.
- How did-- how did you get coffee from the police?
- Well, not the police. Someone-- someone just brought in for us. The police won't let them in. So the police is now becoming our little messengers between us. I don't know. I have no idea what's going on. We're on the bridge. They're not letting anyone else come on, which makes no sense. Because if we're already on the bridge, how is there a public safety incident?
- [INAUDIBLE]
- --left. No one told him he can't come back. Otherwise, he would've said, OK, I understand.
- OK. I'll just ask--
- I accept.
- So--
- [INAUDIBLE] as well?
- Sir, it's the-- it's the person with the vest.
- Jihad?
- Yeah, [INAUDIBLE]?
- Yeah.
- I let the guy know.
- [INAUDIBLE]
- The guy in the yellow vest walking in.
- How did-- how did you get coffee from the police?
- Well, not the police. Someone-- someone just brought it for us. The police won't let them in. So the police are now becoming our little messengers between us. I don't know. I have no idea what's going on. We're on the bridge. They're not letting anyone else come on, which makes no sense. Because if we're already on the bridge, how is there a public safety incident.
- [INAUDIBLE]
