TORONTO — Meir Weinstein, a long-time activist who has led groups including the Jewish Defence League and now heads Israel Now, and a group of supporters confronted NDP leadership candidate Yves Engler and his backers on Bloor Street outside St. Paul’s Anglican Church after the church cancelled an indoor room booking for Engler’s campaign event, according to social media posts from both sides.
Engler posted on X that the church rescinded the rental after pressure from what he described as “genocide advocates,” and said he planned to hold the meeting outdoors if St. Paul’s did not reverse its decision. His account also published the church’s internal email timeline, asserting the church informed a pro-Israel contact about the cancellation before notifying his campaign.
Israel Now’s X account and other pro-Israel posts show Meir Weinstein and supporters gathered outside the church to oppose Engler’s presence and to lobby the NDP to bar him from the leadership race. Israel Now and allied voices described Engler as an extremist and urged institutions not to provide him a platform.
Eyewitness reporting in the form of social posts and campaign statements indicates a tense but largely nonviolent standoff.
Israel Now confronting Hamas supporters at the Yves Engler antisemitic NDP "rally" outside of St. Paul's Church in Toronto. pic.twitter.com/sOiDAR0gRR
— Israel Now (@neveragainlive1) September 19, 2025
Organizers on both sides exchanged accusations on X and in subsequent blog posts, with Engler characterizing the cohort outside the church as part of an effort by pro-Israel activists to suppress dissenting views. Pro-Israel activists said they were acting to prevent what they regard as antisemitic or dangerous rhetoric from being amplified in a major public venue.
The dispute follows the church’s decision earlier this week to cancel the room booking. Engler said the booking had been publicly promoted since late August and that thousands of leaflets and posters had already circulated. He alleged the church emailed a pro-Israel contact about the cancellation before informing his campaign, a chronology he publicized online. The church has said it is reviewing its processes; it has not issued a detailed public account of its deliberations as of this writing.
Meir Weinstein is a well-known figure in Toronto’s Jewish activism scene. He led the Canadian branch of the Jewish Defence League for decades and now runs Israel Now, an advocacy group that has organized public demonstrations against figures and organizations it considers hostile to Israel.
His involvement heightened tensions, with critics pointing to his past association with militant activism and supporters defending his right to protest what they see as antisemitism.
The episode underscores a larger national debate about where to draw the line between legitimate political expression and conduct that targets or intimidates Jewish communities. Pro-Israel groups have increasingly pressed institutions to deny platforms to speakers and events they view as promoting hostility toward Jews and Israel. Opponents of such interventions argue they can chill free expression and be used selectively to silence critics of Israeli policy. The clash in Toronto reflects those competing priorities. Yves Engler+1
Several Jewish communal leaders and organizations have, in recent months, encouraged venues to exercise caution in approving events that could lead to harassment or safety risks for congregants. They say targeted pressure campaigns and online mobilization can lead to confrontations that put worshippers and local communities at risk.
At the same time, civil liberties advocates warn that ad hoc cancellations prompted by online pressure campaigns risk privileging well-organized lobbying over open debate.
Representatives for St. Paul’s Bloor Street did not immediately release a public statement detailing why the booking was cancelled, beyond saying the event was not church-led and that the events office was reviewing its procedures. Organizers for Engler’s campaign said they would proceed with the planned Toronto stop outdoors if the church did not reverse its decision.
Israel Now said its members would remain present to urge NDP officials to act on what the group describes as disqualifying conduct by the candidate.
For pro-Israel and Jewish audiences, the confrontation was seen by some as a necessary defence of community safety and an assertion that advocacy groups will not allow public platforms to host what they view as hostile voices.
For supporters of Engler, the episode looked like an organized suppression of political speech and an attempt to shape who may participate in mainstream party politics. Both sides are likely to use the encounter to rally supporters and shape public perceptions ahead of further campaign stops in Engler’s 10-city tour.
This article is based on verified information from Yves Engler’s public posts and blog, Israel Now’s public social media postings, and public background material about Meir Weinstein and St. Paul’s Bloor Street.