Video of a billboard advertising truck circling the streets of Toronto and displaying what some consider to be Islamophobic messaging has gone viral across social media in the past few days.
In the video, a cubed billboard truck shows clips of Muslims praying, as well as bold messaging on a bright background asking “Is this Yemen?”, “Is this Syria?”, and “Is this Iraq?”. The truck’s messaging then brightly displays “No. This is Canada. Wake up Canada. You are under siege.”
This racist, Islamophobic truck has been spotted in Toronto sharing its message of hate. How is this acceptable in our city @MayorOliviaChow? pic.twitter.com/cfeEmTSdzQ
— SURJ Toronto – Defund Toronto Police (@SURJto) June 18, 2024
In a web post by Rebel News owner Ezra Levant on Thursday, he states that the Toronto police are officially investigating the news organization for running ads by local community activists on the Rebel News billboard truck. The ads were apparently created by a group called “Canadians Opposed to the Occupation of our Streets and Campuses.”
“They’re anonymous because they know they’d face retaliation for speaking out — that’s how bad things are these days. The ads just show actual footage of what the pro-Hamas gangs are doing to Toronto — including committing real crimes ignored by the police and politicians. In the case of this particular ad, the images included pro-Hamas gangs shutting down the streets in downtown Toronto,” Levant wrote in his post.
WATCH: Toronto Police investigate Rebel News for hate speech
A conviction could see @EzraLevant jailed for two years — please help fight back.https://t.co/0onD84iQpR
— Rebel News Canada (@RebelNews_CA) June 20, 2024
The video has generated a lot of debate across social media, with many denouncing the messaging as “racist” and “Islamophobic”, noting that the truck is spreading a “message of hate”. Paramount Foods CEO Mohamad Fakih even offered a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest of the individuals “who paid for, designed, or in any way facilitated this hateful campaign.”
🚨 Up to $25,000 reward
It has been two days since this clear incitement of hate occurred on Toronto streets. Today, I am offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information that leads to the arrest of the individuals who paid for, designed, or in any way facilitated this hateful… https://t.co/m2tAuIOFfW
— Mohamad Fakih, C.M. (@mohamadfakih8) June 20, 2024
On Wednesday, the Toronto Police Hate Crime Unit said they were investigating the incident, and it apparently led them to Rebel News.
In his post, Levant wrote that the investigation is about more than the truck, he says it’s “cancel culture” and the “weaponization of hate speech laws”.
If convicted of hate speech for running that ad, Levant could be jailed for up to two years. Levant says he is hiring a lawyer and the news company set up a website to raise funds to fight the police investigation.
