Toronto

1 arrested, 9 other teens sought in attack on Jewish teens

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Assault happened Sunday night in Fairholme Avenue and Bathurst Street area, police said

Toronto Police say an attack on a group of Jewish teens on Sunday, Nov. 11 in the area of Fairholme Avenue and Bathurst Street is being investigated as a hate crime. (CBC)

One arrest has been made and nine other teenagers are being sought in what Toronto police say is a suspected attack on a group of Jewish teens.

Police said the victims were attacked and robbed on Sunday, Nov. 11 in the area of Fairholme Avenue and Bathurst Street. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime.

Around 8 p.m. on Sunday, police were called to the area for reports of an assault.

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In a news release on Monday, police said four boys, all 17, were walking in the area wearing "attire of their religious faith."

"As they passed another group of youngsters, who were unknown to them, derogatory comments were made about their religion," the news release said.

Police said the unknown group then assaulted two of the teens, punching and kicking them. The suspects also stole a pair of sunglasses from one of the victims before fleeing.

Toronto police spokesperson Katrina Arrogante said one of the boys was injured and was treated by Emergency Medical Services on the scene.

"Police arrived on scene, together with EMS and located the injured male," Arrogante told CBC Toronto. "Minor injuries were sustained; some soreness to the face and some bruising to the lower body."

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The matter is being treated as a hate crime, police said.

Meanwhile, Toronto Mayor John Tory responded to the assault, saying "no one should ever be attacked for their religion."

Tory tweeted about the incident on Monday and called on the public to help the police "solve this hate crime/robbery investigation that occurred Sunday night."

CIJA condemns attack

Meanwhile, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) has also issued a statement condemning the attack.

"We were deeply disturbed to learn of this vile assault on Jewish teens in Toronto, which Police are investigating as a hate-motivated crime," CIJA said.

"Our security team is in constant communications with our law enforcement partners who remain on the scene and are conducting an active investigation."



CIJA is calling on community members who live or work in the Dell Park area and have surveillance videos to check their footage and contact 13 Division if they have any information that might be useful.

"Jewish Canadians should never fear wearing their Kippah in public. We are grateful to the Toronto Police Service for its rapid and professional response," CIJA said.</s>Rene Johnston/Getty Images Toronto police are investigating a hate crime they say occurred in north Toronto against Jewish teens.

The 17-year-old boys were walking in Toronto's north end wearing kippahs when they passed another group of nine people in their early teens, who made derogatory comments about their religion, according to police. The two groups were unknown to one another.

Four teenage Jewish boys wearing religious attire were assaulted and robbed in a hate crime Sunday evening, say police.

The group then assaulted two of the boys, "punching and kicking them" and stole a pair of sunglasses from one of the victims, reported police who arrived at the scene at 8 p.m. Officers arrested a 17-year-old whose identity is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

The Jewish community is "deeply disturbed to learn of this vile assault," said Noah Shack, GTA vice president of The Centre of Israel and Jewish Affairs in a statement. "Jewish Canadians should never fear wearing their kippah in public."

A kippah is a religious headcap.

Canadian Anti-Hate Network chair Bernie Farber told HuffPost Canada that this incident demonstrates a rise in racism.

"Anti-Semitism has increased in ways I'd have never believed possible a year or two ago," Farber said. "It's gone from scrawling swastika symbols on sides of Jewish buildings to violence against young people. Lessons have not been learned."</s>(JTA) — An attack on a group of identifiably Jewish 17-year-old boys in Toronto is being investigated as a hate crime.

On Sunday, the Jewish teens wearing “attire of their religious faith,” according to Toronto Police, passed by a group of 10 identified as being in their “early teens.” The larger group made derogatory remarks about the religion of the Jewish teens, then punched and kicked two of the Jews before splitting up and running away, police said. A pair of sunglasses was stolen from one of the Jewish teens.

One of the suspects was arrested at the scene, and the Jewish victims were treated for their injuries there, according to police.

“No one should ever be attacked for their religion,” Toronto Mayor John Tory said in a tweet. “Please help @TorontoPolice solve this hate crime/robbery investigation that occurred Sunday night.”</s>Police in Toronto are searching for a group of teenagers accused of attacking and insulting another group of Jewish teens in North York, allegedly over their religion.

The boys were walking near Fairholme Avenue and Bathurst Street at around 8 p.m. Sunday when, as they passed another group of teens, the boys were subjected to “derogatory comments” about their religion.

Police say the four victims, all about 17 years old, were dressed according to their faith at the time.

“They were being made fun of based on what they were wearing,” Toronto police spokesperson Katrina Arrogante told CP24. “They were wearing their yamakas on their heads – aside from that I’m not quite sure what their basic outfit was, but that was the comment that was being made to them and that’s when the assault occurred.”

At some point, two of the four boys were attacked. Police allege the victims were punched and kicked and at least one item – a pair of sunglasses – was stolen from one of the victims.

The suspects eventually split up and left the area before help arrived.

At least one of the suspects was located by police. It’s not clear what charges, if any, they may face.

The victims were treated on scene for varying injuries. They later told police that they did not know their attackers.

Police are now searching for at least nine suspects, described only as being in their early teens. Few other any details about the suspects has been released.

In a news release, police indicated they’re investigated the alleged attack as a possible hate crime and robbery.

Noah Shack, Vice President of The Centre of Israel and Jewish Affairs in the Greater Toronto Area, issued a statement Monday afternoon saying the centre was “deeply disturbed to learn of this vile assault on Jewish teens in Toronto.”

“Jewish Canadians should never fear wearing their Kippah in public. We are grateful to the Toronto Police Service for its rapid and professional response.”

Anyone with information about the incident or anyone who was in the area and witnessed the attack is being asked to contact Toronto police or Crime Stoppers anonymously.</s>In a year when the city is on pace for a record number of shootings and murders, it’s difficult to imagine something that could shock Toronto to any greater degree.

However, four Jewish teens suffering a beating in a Hitler-inspired racial attack has done just that.

“No one should ever be attacked for their religion. Please help Toronto Police solve this hate crime/robbery investigation that occurred Sunday night,” tweeted Mayor John Tory.

A group of Orthodox Jewish kids being punched, kicked and told “Hitler was coming back” on the streets of Toronto? It happened Sunday in the Bathurst St.-Lawrence Ave. area.

“They kept making fun of us for being Jewish,” said one of the 17-year-old male victims. “They were yelling at me about Hitler and kept saying it. I was punched, kicked and they broke my glasses.”

The assailants referred to the “Nazis” and mocked and laughed at the young men’s religious headwear.

“Two of us were wearing kippah’s and two fedoras (Hasidic Jewish hats),” said one of the victims. “I guess we stood out. We should not be beaten up because we are Jewish.”

Toronto Police are rightly investigating this as a “hate crime and a robbery.” They already have one suspect in custody and are looking for nine more they describe as “young” people.

“Toronto Police will not tolerate violence and harassment against anyone,” tweeted Chief Mark Saunders. “Help us find the young people responsible for the attack against a group of teens from the Jewish community.”

Saunders and investigators are encouraging people to drop a dime to Crime Stoppers to arrest these alleged racists.

“Four 17-year-old boys were walking in the area, all of whom were wearing attire of their religious faith,” said a Toronto Police release. “As they passed another group of young persons, who were unknown to them, derogatory comments were made about their religion. The unknown group then assaulted two of the 17-year-old boys, punching and kicking them.”

Jewish teenagers punched in the face and kicked by assailants continuously referencing “Hitler” is not something I have ever covered before in my 27 years of chronicling crime in Toronto.

Swastika graffiti, yes. Anti-Semitic vandalism, yes. Anti-Jewish smears, many times.

But a swarm of up to 20 teenage boys allegedly attacking four Orthodox Jewish youths on their way to Yeshiva night school to study the Torah is not something I’ve ever seen.

“It’s just vile,” said Michael Mostyn, B’nai Brith Canada’s chief executive officer. “It’s terrifying that Orthodox Jewish teens would face something has horrific as being beaten and harassed with anti-Semitic slurs. It’s just not right.”

He was heartened to hear police were treating as a hate crime because “something like this has to be curbed” before it becomes an issue.

“We have seen a rise in anti-Semitic (acts) in Toronto but actual violence is unusual,” said Mostyn.

But this is a reminder of just how quickly this kind of evil can be re-introduced.

“This is just another example of why we must continue educating young people in schools, particularly about the Holocaust and other examples of hatred and intolerance throughout history, helping them understand the effects of hate and why we must all stand up against it,” said Avi Benlolo, president of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies.

And Canadian Jewish Defense League National Director Meir Weinstein said Jewish people in Toronto have to be prepared for such attacks which he and many other Jewish leaders have been concerned about for the past few years.

It’s important these young people understand the whole community does not condone what happened to them but that the whole of the community is outraged about it.</s>Four teenage Jewish boys wearing religious attire were assaulted and robbed in a hate crime Sunday evening, say police.

The 17-year-old boys were walking in Toronto's north end wearing kippahs when they passed another group of nine people in their early teens, who made derogatory comments about their religion, according to police. The two groups were unknown to one another.

The group then assaulted two of the boys, "punching and kicking them" and stole a pair of sunglasses from one of the victims, reported police who arrived at the scene at 8 p.m. Officers arrested a 17-year-old whose identity is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

The Jewish community is "deeply disturbed to learn of this vile assault," said Noah Shack, GTA vice president of The Centre of Israel and Jewish Affairs in a statement. "Jewish Canadians should never fear wearing their kippah in public."

Canadian Anti-Hate Network chair Bernie Farber told HuffPost Canada that this incident demonstrates a rise in racism and anti-semitism.

"Anti-semitism has increased in ways I'd have never believed possible a year or two ago," Farber said. "It's gone from scrawling swastika symbols on sides of Jewish buildings to violence against young people. Lessons have not been learned."

He pointed to the Quebec mosque shooting in January 2017 that left six dead and to the gunman who killed 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue in October.

The Toronto incident is alleged to have happened on Remembrance Day, and against kids, making it "the worst form of anti-semitism," Farber said. "It has to be called out and condemned. We have to try to determine why this is happening. Why is this going on?"

The other suspects split up and fled, leaving the victims with injuries that were treated on scene.

Police have no more information about the suspects' descriptions, said spokesperson Katrina Arrogante on Monday.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-1300, or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS.</s>Toronto police are seeking the public's help in identifying and locating nine youths wanted in connection with an attack on a group of Jewish teens.

Police said the victims were attacked and robbed on Sunday, Nov. 11 in the area of Fairholme Avenue and Bathurst Street.

Around 8 p.m. on Sunday, police were called to the area for reports of an assault.

In a news release on Monday, police said four boys, all 17, were walking in the area wearing "attire of their religious faith."

"As they passed another group of youngsters, who were unknown to them, derogatory comments were made about their religion," the news release said.

Police said the unknown group then assaulted two of the teens, punching and kicking them. The suspects also stole a pair of sunglasses from one of the victims before fleeing.

Toronto police spokesperson Katrina Arrogante said one of the boys was injured and was treated by Emergency Medical Services on the scene.

"Police arrived on scene, together with EMS and located the injured male," Arrogante told CBC Toronto. "Minor injuries were sustained; some soreness to the face and some bruising to the lower body."

The matter is being treated as a hate crime, police said.

Meanwhile, Toronto Mayor John Tory responded to the assault, saying "no one should ever be attacked for their religion."

Tory tweeted about the incident on Monday and called on the public to help the police "solve this hate crime/robbery investigation that occurred Sunday night."

Meanwhile, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) has also issued a statement condemning the attack.

"We were deeply disturbed to learn of this vile assault on Jewish teens in Toronto, which Police are investigating as a hate-motivated crime," CIJA said.

"Our security team is in constant communications with our law enforcement partners who remain on the scene and are conducting an active investigation."



 CIJA is calling on community members who live or work in the Dell Park area and have surveillance videos to check their footage and contact 13 Division if they have any information that might be useful.

"Jewish Canadians should never fear wearing their Kippah in public. We are grateful to the Toronto Police Service for its rapid and professional response," CIJA said.</s>Toronto police have launched a robbery and hate crime investigation after a group of 17-year-old Jewish boys wearing religious garments were attacked in North Toronto Sunday evening. Police say the four boys were walking in the area of Fairholme Ave. and Bathurst St., one block south of Lawrence Ave. W., when they were passed by another group of nine teenagers.

The second group made derogatory comments about the Jewish boys’ religion and their clothing then assaulted two of the 17-year-old boys, “punching and kicking them,” police said. A pair of sunglasses was then stolen from one of the victims. The 17-year-old boys did not know the other group, police said.

After the alleged attack took place, the suspects split up and fled the area, police said. Police responded to the scene at approximately 8 p.m. and arrested one suspect, a 17-year-old boy, at the scene. He cannot be identified under provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act. No description has been made about the other suspects other than they are in their “early teens.” Toronto police spokesperson Katrina Arrogante said police could not say whether the assault had an anti-Semitic motivation, or whether the derogatory comments were a case of “kids being kids.”

The victims of the assault were treated at the scene for minor injuries. Ilya Bañares is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star’s radio room in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @ilyaoverseas</s>TORONTO — Police have made one arrest and are looking for nine teens following an alleged assault, described as a suspected hate crime against two Jewish boys in Toronto.

Investigators say the incident happened on Sunday evening, when four 17-year-old boys were walking through a predominantly Jewish neighbourhood and wearing yarmulkes.

Police allege another group of young people made derogatory comments to the boys about their religion, and began punching and kicking two of them.

Investigators say the suspects split up and ran away, and the alleged victims were treated for their injuries at the scene.

They say officers found one of the suspects, and are looking for nine others who are described as being in their early teens.

Toronto Mayor John Tory tweeted that nobody should be “attacked for their religion,” and asked for anyone with information about the incident to call police.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said it was “deeply disturbed” by what it described as the “vile assault on Jewish teens.”

“Jewish Canadians should never fear wearing their Kippah in public,” vice-president Noah Shack said in a statement, noting that his organization’s security team was in contact with Toronto police.</s>Toronto police are on the lookout for nine young teenagers, wanted in connection with a possible hate crime.

Four 17-year-old boys were walking in the area of Bathurst Street and Lawrence Avenue Sunday evening, wearing attire of their religious faith.

As they passed a group of young people, derogatory comments were allegedly made towards them.

The group, unknown to the victims, then allegedly assaulted two of the boys, punching and kicking them. A pair of sunglasses was also stolen from one of the victims, before the assailants fled the area.

Police were called and one of the suspects involved was arrested.

The victims were treated for their injuries at the scene.

Naomi Parness with the United Jewish Appeal Federation says it is their understanding the teenagers were Jewish.

The outstanding suspects are described as being in their early teens, but further details have not been made available.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
Toronto police investigates a hate crime against four Jewish teens. 1 person is arrested and 9 other teenagers are being sought.