'There was chaos': Milton, Ont., councillor files complaint with police over 'illegal' anti-Israel protest
A councillor in Milton, Ont., has filed a complaint with local law enforcement alleging that a recent anti-Israel street protest “was illegal” and represented a threat to public safety.
The “Globalize the Intifada” rally took place in downtown Milton on the afternoon of Sept. 6 that was co-organized by Liberate Palestine Forty-Eight. Video clips of the event shared on the group’s Instagram account show demonstrators chanting, “Intifada, Intifada, long live the Intifada,” and “There is only one solution.” Some participants wore sweaters bearing the refrain, “From the river to the sea,” which is understood by some to be a call for the eradication of Israel.
A black pickup truck with a loudspeaker appeared to lead the procession. It drove across the yellow median line down Milton’s Main Street as drums thudded in the background.
Calls to “Globalize The Intifada” are now hitting @TownOfMiltonON for Saturday September 6th.
— Leviathan (@l3v1at4an) August 31, 2025
What says you residents of Milton? ???? pic.twitter.com/uo37vUMuL8
“It was an illegal protest,” Councillor John Challinor II told National Post. “They had not sought a permit from the Town of Milton, they had not reached out for paid traffic management services by the police, which is really important. They had no insurance, right? Those are the three key things. So when you’re doing that, you’re putting yourself at risk. As a group, if you do protest, you’re putting the public at risk.”
Challinor raised the issue at the end of a town hall meeting on Sept. 8, a day after he reported the incident to Halton Regional Police Service.
“There are a number of Miltonians who, for the first time in their lives, are wondering why they still live here,” Challinor said.
“These illegal protests need to stop immediately. Not next year. Not next month. Not even next week. Now.”
He asked Milton’s business, political and religious leaders step up and call “out lawlessness in our community.”
However, Challinor doesn’t expect the police or town council will do anything.
“I have heard nothing from Milton Council, other than they have referred their constituents with questions to me. All constituents who have reached out to me through my fellow councillors wanted to know how the illegal protests can be stopped,” he said on Friday.
Liberate Palestine Forty-Eight did not respond to National Post’s request for comment before publication.
Another protest organizer, the Milton Palestine Action Committee, forwarded the Post a written statement sent to Milton’s town council on Tuesday, addressing Challinor’s comments.
“His remarks are not only inaccurate — they risk seriously misleading the public and disingenuously aim to silence citizens exercising their Charter-protected rights to free expression and peaceful assembly,” the statement reads. “These protests respond to genocide. That word is not rhetoric — it is fact in law and evidence.”
The Milton Palestine Action Committee called Challinor’s argument that they did not seek a permit “false.”
“In November 2023, Town staff explicitly advised organizers: ‘The Town of Milton does not issue permits for road closures related to protests.’ Organizers have consistently coordinated with Halton Police, either in advance or on site, who were present at each demonstration to ensure traffic management and public safety,” the group said.
Rob Faulkner, a public relations advisor with the town, would not specifically address the case of this protest, but he said that Milton “does not issue permits specifically for protests.”
“The Town may issue permits for events that require road closures, noise exemptions, or vendor sales of goods or merchandise; however, the Town was not approached about permits for this event,” the statement continued.
When asked for clarification whether Milton issues permits for protests involving road closures or if such documentation is not required, Faulkner pointed the Post to town policies , which do not specifically mention protests, but do cover all “public events .” Faulkner did not give a definitive answer when asked whether Milton Palestine Action Committee’s statement about not needing a permit in this situation was correct.
“Requirements for events are detailed on the web page and event form shared earlier,” he said.
The Halton Regional Police Service confirmed receipt of Challinor’s complaint in a document shared with the Post and acknowledged the matter would be “reviewed and investigated by our District Response Unit.” Ryan Anderson, a media relations officer with Halton police, told the Post in a written statement that because it was “an active matter, I am not able to provide further details or updates at this time.”
Anderson shared with the Post information police had earlier provided to Challinor, explaining that over a dozen members of Halton police were dispatched “to ensure public safety and manage traffic.” However, “despite considerable efforts, we were unable to establish contact with any of the event organizers, even though multiple groups were promoting it.”
Anderson said that “no significant incidents, and no arrests were made,” and clarified that attending officers “did not observe any behaviour that would be classified as hate speech.” He added that Halton police were unaware “of any permits issued by the Town of Milton for this event.” He requested members of the public come forward if they had any “evidence of hate speech or criminal activity related to the protests.”
Asked whether driving over the median lane or closing down a main street during a future demonstration could lead to any penalties, Anderson said the role of Halton police was to uphold “the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees certain rights and essential freedoms. These include freedoms of opinion, expression, and peaceful assembly. Our role is to balance these rights while maintaining public peace and order for residents, businesses, and road users.”
“Each situation is assessed on an individual basis, and our officers apply discretion to ensure that gatherings remain safe (and) peaceful,” Anderson continued. “The exercise of police discretion should not be mistaken for lack of enforcement — in some cases, officers may wait for a lower-risk opportunity to take action rather than inflame a situation.”
Challinor said that local law enforcement was unprepared for the protest and were forced to rush over once it began to ensure public safety wasn’t jeopardized. “There was chaos. Chaos on that street, on Main Street, chaos on the streets that are secondary to it. That’s what got people upset,” he said.
“Crown attorneys and the court system have to take a hard, legally compliant line on hate speech, illegal protests and the organization of acts that threaten public safety.”
Milton Mayor Gordon Krantz did not respond to requests for comment in time for publication. Councillor Colin Best directed the Post’s request for comment to the mayor’s office and Councillor Adil Khalqi encouraged the Post to contact Halton police.
Josh Landau, the director of government relations for the Centre of Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) in Ontario, told the Post that such demonstrations are part of a “disturbing surge in hate, intimidation, and violence” in Canada since the October 7 attacks by Hamas.
“Extremists have targeted our places of worship, disrupted Pride parades, forced the closure of MPs’ offices, and created an environment where even simple activities — visiting bookstores, parks, or grocery stores — can feel unsafe,” Landau said in an email.
“We urge leaders at every level of government to confront extremism — whether at home or abroad — as well as urgently boost Jewish community security, and ban the glorification of terrorism in our streets. And it is our firm expectation that the authorities enforce the law and ensure everyone’s safety.”
Challinor decided to speak out because, “honestly, I’d had enough. I really felt that it was time to make it very clear that this is not acceptable in our community,” he said.
“I’ve been becoming increasingly frustrated, quite frankly, by these protests,” he said. “It really was, I felt, time to sort of draw the line because it’s having a negative impact on our community.”