Eating Children and "black Magic": Jewish Groups Demand Police Probe After Antisemitic Speech at Bathurst and Sheppard

A university lecturer is facing calls for charges after he was filmed making a series of antisemitic claims at an anti-Israel demonstration in Toronto on Sunday.

The speaker, identified in social-media posts and media reports as Abbas Hamze, was recorded speaking through a megaphone at Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue West, in a heavily Jewish part of North York.

Hamze is listed by the University of Niagara Falls Canada as a lecturer in its graduate programs in data analytics and computer science. The university’s faculty directory currently lists him as a lecturer in both its Master of Data Analytics and Master of Computer Science in Applied Artificial Intelligence programs.

Toronto Police are investigating the incident, according to reports. No charges against Hamze have been announced.

The Claims Caught on Camera

In the video, Hamze attacks Israel and Zionism, calling Israel a “false Zionist state.”

He then makes broader claims about Jews, saying they have been expelled from countries because of their own “mischief” and accusing them of “making black magic and horrible things.”

He also accuses “Zionists” of killing and eating children.

The comments have drawn widespread condemnation because they repeat conspiracy theories and stereotypes that have been used against Jews for centuries.

There is an important distinction here: criticizing Israel, its government or Zionism is political speech. Making accusations about Jews as a group is something different.

An Antisemitic Myth That Goes Back Centuries

The references to children echo the old blood libel, one of the most notorious antisemitic myths in history.

Beginning in medieval Europe, Jews were falsely accused of murdering Christian children and using their blood for religious purposes. These accusations helped fuel violence, persecution and massacres against Jewish communities.

The claim that Jews secretly murder or eat children is not a new political argument. It is part of a much older tradition of portraying Jews as dangerous and inhuman.

The reference to “black magic” also fits into a long history of antisemitic conspiracy theories portraying Jews as secretly using supernatural powers or engaging in sinister practices.

Jewish Groups Say the Line Was Crossed

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, B'nai Brith Canada and the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center have condemned the remarks and called for action.

Richard Robertson, B'nai Brith Canada's director of research and advocacy, said references to “black magic” and eating children are classic antisemitic tropes and called on Toronto Police to investigate.

The groups have also raised concerns about the location of the demonstration.

Bathurst and Sheppard sits in a heavily Jewish area, with synagogues, Jewish schools, businesses and many Jewish families nearby.

Now Police Are Investigating

That's now for police and prosecutors to determine.

Canada's Criminal Code makes it a crime, in certain circumstances, to publicly incite hatred or deliberately promote hatred against an identifiable group.

But not every offensive or hateful statement is automatically a criminal offence. Police must determine whether the specific comments and circumstances meet the legal threshold.

For now, no charges against Hamze have been announced.

A Location That Has Drawn Criticism

Sunday's demonstration was not the first controversy at the intersection.

Bathurst and Sheppard has become a regular site for anti-Israel demonstrations and counter-protests. Because the area is home to a large Jewish population, the protests have become a growing source of tension.

Toronto Police have also investigated previous demonstrations at the intersection.

Earlier this year, eight people were charged in connection with a separate March 15 demonstration. The charges included offences related to the alleged promotion or incitement of hatred. None of those allegations has been proven in court.

Supporters of the demonstrations say they are exercising their right to protest Israel and advocate for Palestinians. Critics say holding demonstrations in the middle of a Jewish neighbourhood can make local residents feel targeted.

Educating the Next Generation?

The incident has also attracted attention because Hamze is a university lecturer.

The University of Niagara Falls Canada currently lists an Abbas Hamze as a lecturer in its graduate programs in data analytics and computer science.

Social-media posts and media reports have also identified him as having taught at Georgian College and Conestoga College, although those current affiliations have not been independently confirmed.

His academic fields are data analytics and computer science.

A university position does not determine what someone can say as a private citizen. But the incident naturally raises questions about what students are exposed to when someone who teaches at a university makes such statements publicly.

No public response from Hamze addressing the video or the investigation has been located.

What Happens Next?

For now, the question is whether police believe the remarks crossed the line from offensive speech into criminal hate speech.

That decision will depend on the investigation and the evidence.

But the incident has already sparked a much larger debate about where political protest crosses the line.

The speech at Bathurst and Sheppard went beyond criticism of Israel. It invoked “black magic,” secret conspiracies and accusations that Jews murder and eat children.

Those are centuries-old antisemitic myths.

And this time, they were broadcast through a megaphone on a Toronto street in the middle of a Jewish community.

Sources: University of Niagara Falls Canada faculty directory, Jerusalem Post report and B’nai Brith response, Criminal Code, Section 319, Toronto Police report on earlier Bathurst–Sheppard charges.