Toronto’s chief of police, Myron Demkiw, held a press conference on Monday to provide updated information about the state of hate crimes in the city.

During the press release, Demkiw revealed that compared to last year during the same period, reported hate crimes have increased by 93 percent. He attributed this spike in increase to the escalation of violence against Palestine following the October 7 attacks in Israel. 203 hate crimes in total have been confirmed, with nearly 70 arrests and 173 charges made since the attacks.

According to Demkiw, December and January saw a lull in hate crimes before they ballooned again in February, with 84 reported this year alone. Of these 84, 56 percent have been reported as anti-semitic, though Demkiw notes as well that there is a concern about underreporting in regards to Islamophobia. Toronto police have increased the number of officers around Mosques during Ramadan to ensure a month of peaceful worship.

This is not the first time Demkiw has reported an increase in hate crimes. In November 2023, the chief hosted another press conference where he unveiled his concerns regarding the rise in Islamophobic and anti-semitic attacks in the initial wake of the October 7th attacks and subsequent bombings of Gaza that have taken place. On February 14, the Prime Ministers of Canada, New Zealand, and Australia released a joint statement calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.

Currently, the US has vetoed all UN resolutions for a ceasefire in Gaza, which has continued to stir tension between nations.