Crown drops charges against 4 accused in hate-motivated vandalism case at Indigo bookstore

Court documents indicate charges have been dropped against four of the 11 people who were arrested for allegedly defacing a Toronto Indigo bookstore.

On November 10, 2023, Toronto police charged members of the group with mischief, conspiracy and criminal harassment after a group allegedly splashed red paint and postered the downtown store in what police described as a “hate-motivated” crime.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Toronto Police Service (TPS) said it conducted judicially authorized search warrants on residences and vehicles in Toronto that day as part of this investigation.

“The Toronto Police Service will persist in enforcing hate crime laws and laying charges when justified, ensuring the safety and security of our communities,” the statement read. “The Crown is proceeding with the remaining seven prosecutions.”

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Court documents show that the Crown dropped the charges against Ian Doty, 43, of Toronto; Clement Cheng, 26, of Toronto; Karl Gardner, 33, of Toronto; and Sarom Rho, 29, of Toronto.

“This decision should not be seen as a criticism of the police determination that there were reasonable grounds for the arrests of these four individuals,” the court document states. “However, the standard for proceeding with a prosecution is properly higher and more rigorous.”

At the time, the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies (FSWC) called it “a vile antisemitic attack.”

Pro-Palestinian and progressive Jewish groups said the police response and characterization of the protest as hate-motivated was part of an effort to criminalize and silence Palestinian solidarity actions.

Indigo founder and chief executive Heather Reisman, who is Jewish, has long been a target of protests over a foundation she started with her husband that encourages people with no family ties in Israel to serve in the army.

“We are deeply disappointed and greatly concerned about the Crown dropping charges against four of the so-called ‘Indigo 11’. We are in favour of peaceful protests, of course, but are fearful that dropping these particular charges will set a dangerous precedent and will embolden protesters to harass and vandalize businesses run by Jewish people,” said B’nai Brith Canada in a statement.

Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said in March that the city has experienced disturbing surges in hate crime calls, with the majority being antisemitic in nature. At the time, Demkiw noted there had been 84 confirmed hate crimes, up 83 per cent over last year.

Most of them (56 per cent) have been antisemitic.

With files from The Canadian Press