Charges have been dropped against four of the 11 people accused of defacing a Toronto Indigo bookstore in a case that has become a flashpoint over how police respond to pro-Palestinian protests.
Court documents indicate the charges were withdrawn on Friday.
Toronto police charged eleven people 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.
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.
Pro-Palestinian groups, including Jews Say No to Genocide, accused the police of mischaracterizing the protest as hate-motivated and coming down hard on protestors in an alleged effort to silence and discredit Palestinian solidarity actions.
The Friends of Simon Wiesthal Center, and other Pro-Israel groups, denounced the protests as antisemitic.
Banner image: Police maintain a presence as protesters gather outside an Indigo store in Toronto, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 22, 2024.
