Anti-immigration rally and counter-protest held in Toronto

Protests and Counter-Protests in Toronto

Dozens gathered at Nathan Phillips Square on Saturday to protest mass immigration. This led to a counter-protest, a news conference, and multiple arrests by Toronto police.

Canada First Movement’s Message

Canada First Movement founder and president Joe Anidjar started the initiative in 2024 to send a message across the country. He stated, “Before, we had a great immigration system where people came here, they knew they had to work hard. Now we’re paying for people’s livelihoods. And that’s just not the way. That’s not where I want my tax dollars going.”

Anidjar expressed a desire to allocate more funds to homelessness and mental illness support in the city, rather than to overseas wars. He said, “We want to put our people first. We want to put our needs first.”

Voices from the Rally

Ron Bouwmeister, an attendee of the Canada First rally, protested for his grandkids. He remarked, “My kids, my grandkids are blonde. I was blonde. Now you look [at] all the schools, there’s no blonde people anymore. That’s wrong because we need a mixture. I want my Canada back.”

Police Response and Counter-Protest

Toronto police reported 11 arrests at a demonstration at Queen Street W. and Bay Street. The Canada First rally prompted a counter-protest by Community Solidarity Toronto, which aimed to reduce hate in the city and attracted around 150 attendees.

Dana Julien, a protester with a sign reading ‘Immigrants are welcome here,’ stated he stands with migrants who are being turned into “scapegoats.” He said, “When there’s a big vocal expression or even a pathetic vocal expression of hatred towards immigrants, I want to be there to stand against it.”

Warnings from Officials

Before the Canada First rally, councillors and activists held a news conference at Toronto City Hall. They warned of the dangers of anti-immigration rhetoric, especially after a recent killing involving an immigration agent in Minneapolis, Minn.

Nigel Barriffe, president of the Urban Alliance on Race Relations, stated, “It’s not fair to blame immigrants for the ongoing affordability crisis in Canada. It’s not their fault.” He added that waves of immigration have built Canada into a beautiful society.

Concerns About Safety and Division

Rev. Sarah Miller from the United Church, a member of the Toronto East Anti Hate Mobilization, expressed concern about anti-immigration protests. She said they make it “safer to be racist,” which reduces safety for everyone and creates division.

Coun. Neethan Shan (Scarborough-Rouge Park) told CBC Toronto that Toronto stands in solidarity with affected communities. He said, “This xenophobia, these anti-refugee, anti-immigrant sentiments that are being spread deliberately to cause fear, deliberately to create a foundation for further racism and hate needs to be stopped.”

Response from Canada First Movement

Anidjar disagreed with the claims made against his movement. He said, “If you take a look around, it’s very multicultural. It’s people from all different backgrounds and races. At the end of the day, we want to preserve our culture, our identity and our way of life.”