Terrorist group flag waved at Toronto protest; Mississauga, Oakville men charged

A Mississauga man and an Oakville man face hate-related charges after police spotted two people waving the flag of an identified terrorist group at a demonstration last Saturday in Toronto.

Toronto Police said two men who were waving Hezbollah flags at a protest near Armoury Street and University Avenue were approached by police and told such flags can be a threat “to the public peace.”

Hezbollah is listed as a terrorist organization by the Canadian government, police noted.

Police said in a news release on Thursday the officers who cautioned the men then left to help manage the large crowd amid “public safety concerns.”

The two protesters “continued to publicly wave the Hezbollah flags,” police added.

A 34-year-old Mississauga man and an Oakville man, also 34, were arrested on Wednesday. They’re each charged with public incitement of hatred and are scheduled to appear in Toronto court on Nov. 14.

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“Our expanded Hate Crime Unit continues to investigate every reported instance of hate, including the presence of flags that promote terrorist organizations, as identified by Public Safety Canada,” said Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw in the news release. “Charges can be laid at any time, whether it’s hours, days or even weeks after an incident, including those that take place at demonstrations.”