A newly formed Jewish safety patrol team was present at the University of Toronto's downtown campus on September 6, 2024, during a student-led pro-Palestine march, according to reporting by CityNews.
The volunteer group, called Magen Herut Canada, stood alongside Toronto police officers as over 100 pro-Palestine protesters marched through the St. George campus.
Since the University of Toronto has not stepped up to protect Jewish students, we thank these volunteer groups for the brave initiative. pic.twitter.com/xpmbrdrBct
— StandWithUs (@StandWithUs) September 9, 2024
"We're just here to maintain as much order as we can and make sure the Jewish community is safe," said Aaron Hadida, founder of Magen Herut Canada. Hadida, who wore a black shirt labeled "Surveillance team," said he is trained in Krav Maga, boxing, and mixed martial arts.
The safety patrol team was formed in response to rising antisemitic incidents in Toronto following the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. Hadida said he now receives calls from worried parents of university students. "They're constantly worried about their kids on campus," Hadida said. "We decided that we're going to be a visible presence on university campuses this year, that Jewish students who [go] to class [are] going to know that, no matter what, somebody [is] outside keeping an eye on them."
Tochi Osuji, a non-Jewish volunteer with Magen Herut Canada, said he joined the safety patrol after witnessing an assault on an elderly Jewish man at a pro-Israel rally last month. "We're not here to fight people," Osuji clarified. "We're here to protect. If we see kids attacked, that might play out a little different. But I feel like it's just our physical presence that changes the dynamic."
This was outside the University of Toronto. Happy to see the Police finally using some force against this pro-Hamas mob of thugs! If anything, they went easy on them. pic.twitter.com/Zip15cWwzn
— Arsen Ostrovsky 🎗️ (@Ostrov_A) September 7, 2024
The presence of the safety patrol teams has drawn some criticism. On social media platform X, journalist Samira Mohyeddin referred to Magen Herut as "vigilantes" and questioned whether the University of Toronto had granted permission for their presence on campus.
Another security organization present was JForce Security Inc., a registered security agency. A member of JForce, who requested anonymity, stated: "I think the police are doing the best they can." As the crowd dispersed around 2 pm, JForce members escorted two older women who said they felt unsafe to the nearest subway station.
