Diana Bosco, 40, of Toronto, was arrested on Sunday for demonstrating in a Jewish neighborhood at an intersection that has seen multiple anti-Israel protests since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, after she was previously arrested and released on the condition of not returning to the area.
Bosco was arrested near Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue West, while police were in the area for an anti-Israel protest, the Toronto Police Service stated.
Bosco was previously arrested in June during the Walk with Israel and has allegedly blocked public roadways and pedestrian access. She has been charged with failure to comply with an undertaking and was scheduled to appear in court on Monday morning.
Richard Robertson, director of research and advocacy for B’nai Brith Canada, told JNS that “Bathurst and Sheppard has been plagued by individuals who repeatedly attend to the intersection to incite hate and to sow division.”
“The re-arresting of Bosco confirms this is an organized attempt by individuals to harass and intimidate the Jewish community,” he said.
Robertson told JNS that Bosco violating the conditions of her release “indicates that this is not a lawful demonstration and warrants additional redress.”
“It is clear that these individuals do not respect our laws and rules, and this demonstrates and underscores the need for the Toronto Police Service to take action to bring about the end of these protests,” he said.
Robertson told JNS that B’nai Brith Canada is grateful to the police for arresting Bosco.
“This demonstrates the authorities’ ability to identify those who are attending these protests and to hold them accountable if they are not abiding by the law in their release conditions,” he said.
