Hate Crime Unit investigating vandalism at Member of Parliament’s Toronto office

The Toronto Police Hate Crime Unit is investigating vandalism that targeted the Toronto office of a Member of Parliament.

The Bloor Street West office of Davenport MP Julie Dzerowicz was doused in red paint. The words “Rahaf (sic) is burning, Toronto will too,” was also spray painted on it, and a sign was posted.

“Arms embargo now!” the sign posted on her office’s front window reads. “Julie! End the Canada-Israel arms trade.”

Police haven’t released further details, but Dzerowicz told reporters two people dressed in black carried out the vandalism at around 1:06 a.m. Tuesday morning.

“It is awful that this is happening,” she said on Wednesday.

Dzerowicz released an official statement later Wednesday.

“My office has ensured that we are open to all voices, and we continue to reach out to those who disagree with or challenge Canada’s approach. But what happened at my office yesterday crossed the line,” she wrote.

“Stating that “Rafah is burning, Toronto will too” is particularly troublesome and threatening language that impacts the sense of safety in my office and how we serve the residents of Davenport. Other MP offices have also been similarly impacted recently.

“In a democracy, protests can be messy and even ugly, but they are a critical right. However, that right does not include threats, hate speech, or vandalism. When that happens, it is important that we all take action to ensure that things do not escalate into more dangerous situations like the shooting at the Bais Chaya Mushka School for Girls in North York on May 26.”

Dzerowicz became the first female MP to represent Davenport when she was elected in 2015. She was re-elected in 2019 and 2021.

She serves on the House of Commons Parliamentary Finance Committee and is also the Chair of the Canada-NATO Parliamentary Association.

According to the bio on her official website she is “the child of immigrant parents who fled their respective countries due to poverty, war and discrimination; and who came to Canada to find a safe place to raise their children.”