Toronto police chief apologizes after officers hand coffee to protesters

Toronto's police chief apologized Sunday after a video posted on social media of officers handing coffee to protesters supporting Palestinians was criticized by politicians.

On Saturday, police closed the overpass on Avenue Road at Highway 401, saying on social media they were on the scene to keep demonstrators and passing traffic safe. Video from the overpass posted on Facebook by Palestine House, a community organization, shows protesters holding Palestinian flags and chanting "Free Palestine."

A separate video, published on social media on Saturday by a user identified as Caryma Sa'd, appears to show police officers carrying a box of coffee and cups to people standing on the overpass.

The man who accepts the coffee tells the person holding the camera that someone brought the coffee but police would not allow them on the overpass, so police carried it to those on the overpass.

Marco Mendicino, the member of Parliament for the Toronto riding of Eglinton-Lawrence and the former federal minister of public safety, criticized the move by Toronto police.

"Police serving coffee and food to protestors will just embolden more deliberate obstruction of traffic, undermine public safety, and add to local frustrations," Mendicino said on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Laws exist to prevent this. They need to be enforced!"

Anthony Housefather, another MP who represents the Mount Royal riding in Quebec, called the move a "a very poor decision."

Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw apologized in a statement for the "concern and confusion" caused by "one particular interaction between officers and a person."

Demkiw did not specify what that interaction was, but a police spokesperson confirmed to CBC Toronto that the chief's statement was about the coffee video.

The spokesperson said officers performed the "helpful act" in the hopes of keeping tensions low and that it should not be interpreted as the police showing support for any cause or group.

Meanwhile, Demkiw said in his statement that he's convened "command meetings" to review the day's events.

"Let me be clear and unequivocal: our commitment to keeping our city's Jewish community safe is unwavering. We are doing everything we can in the locations that have been targeted for demonstration to uphold and enforce the law," he wrote.

The overpass rally follows a series of protests in Toronto related to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, which was sparked by Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel that left some 1,200 people dead, according to Israeli officials. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas.

Israel responded with an offensive that has so far killed 22,835 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, which advocates on behalf of Jewish federations in Canada, said on social media that the overpass is not a typical protest site.

"It's an overpass in the heart of a residential neighbourhood, one that's home to many Jewish families," the post said.