Community Wins

In July 2025, community members mobilized after news broke that the extremist Irish band Kneecap was scheduled to perform in Toronto and Vancouver. The group, whose member has been charged with a terror offence in the UK, became the focus of a coordinated campaign that saw tens of thousands of Canadians speak out against giving a platform to hate and radicalization. In response, the federal government announced that Kneecap is ineligible to enter Canada, affirming that those who glorify terror and threaten public safety will not be given a platform to spread hate.

In September 2025, hateful protestors targeted Indigo and Chapters stores across Canada as part of a persistent campaign of harassment, vandalism, and intimidation against Jewish businesses. For two years, extremists have targeted our places of business and community life—everywhere from bookstores to schools and grocery stores. Indigo and Chapters have been among the most targeted. Over the weekend, Canadians took a stand together to support Canadian values of respect and tolerance.

In August 2025, our community helped reverse the Toronto International Film Festival’s (TIFF) decision to exclude The Road Between Us, a Canadian-made documentary telling a powerful story of courage and survival. Tens of thousands of Canadians—including civic leaders, artists, and people from all walks of life—spoke out against TIFF’s capitulation to extremist pressure. Together, we demonstrated that cultural institutions must not give in to hate or silence important stories. With the film now returning to the festival, we are committed to ensuring it reaches audiences nationwide, sparking vital conversations about the dangers of unchecked extremism and the courage it takes to stand against it.

In April 2024, Canadians watched in horror as hundreds of Iranian drones and missiles were fired, directly from Iran, at Israeli cities and towns. In response, thousands of community members and allies called on the Canadian Government to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. In June 2024, the Canadian Government took action. Our collective voice made a difference—and today, the IRGC is listed as a state sponsor of terrorism in Canada. More needs to be done to block Iranian agents from using Canada as a safe haven.

Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is a terrorist organization banned by Canada’s allies, the United Kingdom and Germany, planned to bring its extremist agenda to an Ontario city in January 2025. Tens of thousands of community members and allies took action to prevent this direct threat to the safety and well-being of all Canadians. Hizb ut-Tahrir has a disturbing record of antisemitism and support for violence, including the October 7 atrocities. Not only did we stop Hizb ut-Tahrir from spreading its hateful ideology within Canada’s borders, but the federal Public Safety Minister at the time, The Hon. David McGuinty, initiated the process to list Hizb ut-Tahrir as a banned terrorist organization. CIJA will continue to hold the Government accountable to this commitment.

Toronto City Council took an important step forward in passing a safe access bylaw in May 2025. Our collective efforts not only helped pass this bylaw, but ensured it was amended to be even stronger. There is broad support for safe access zones from diverse religious and ethnocultural leaders who recognize that freedom of expression does not include a right to intimidate, bully, and harass communities. The bylaw will protect vulnerable institutions from intimidation and hate-fueled protests. This comes after the City of Vaughan instituted its own bylaw in June 2024, and cities in Ontario and across the country move forward with similar plans for Safe Access Zones.

On June 13, Israel began precision strikes against Iranian nuclear and military sites. This followed a ruling from the UN’s nuclear inspection agency that the Islamic Republic of Iran is in violation of its obligations. Thousands of community members sent messages to elected officials to take a strong stand against the Iranian threat. Together we made a real impact: Canada joined its G7 allies in releasing a joint statement identifying Iran as the principal source of regional instability and terror, which must never have a nuclear weapon. CIJA continues to call on the Canadian government to stand against the regime’s nuclear and ballistic missile ambitions—a clear threat to global peace and security.