Ontario man charged after threatening demonstrators at Toronto hospital

A 49-year-old man is facing charges after making threats towards demonstrators in downtown Toronto.

Police say they were contacted by a man on Feb. 14, who expressed his frustration towards demonstrators in front of a hospital.

The accused then threatened to go to the hospital and “harm the demonstrators,” according to police.

Paul Scoffield of Simcoe County has been charged with uttering threats causing death.

The threat was made two days after online videos showed a demonstrator scaling scaffolding outside Mount Sinai Hospital and waving a Palestinian flag during a pro-Palestinian march in the downtown core. Hospital and political leaders including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford all condemned the demonstration’s stop outside the hospital, calling it a display of antisemitism.

A protest marshal disputed that claim, accusing the politicians of spreading misinformation and being unfair to peaceful protesters. They said the individual in question scaled several high points along the protest route and that the hospital was not specifically targeted. 

Toronto police say they are investigating incidents that occurred in front of the hospital and along the protest route.

Police say officers use their discretion during large demonstrations and even if arrests are not considered a safe option at the time, investigations continue and may lead to charges later.