Toronto Unites to Confront Anti-Immigrant Hate Rally at City Hall

TORONTO, ON – January 09, 2026 – A broad coalition of city councillors, labour unions, and civil society organizations is preparing to stage a significant counter-rally on Saturday, making a firm stand against a planned anti-immigrant protest at the heart of the city's government. The event aims to send an unequivocal message: “hate has no place here — all are welcome in Toronto.”

The counter-rally, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on January 10th inside Toronto City Hall, is a direct response to a demonstration organized by the anti-immigration group 'Canada First' in Nathan Phillips Square. Organizers of the counter-protest are framing the event as a necessary defense of Toronto's multicultural identity amidst a worrying increase in xenophobic rhetoric and hate-motivated incidents across the region.

A City Mobilizes Against Hate

Leading the charge is a trio of influential organizations with deep roots in Toronto's social justice landscape: the Toronto & York Region Labour Council, the Urban Alliance on Race Relations (UARR), and Toronto East Anti-hate Mobilization (TEAM).

The Toronto & York Region Labour Council, which represents over 200,000 workers, has a long history of anti-racism advocacy dating back to 1947. Its current president, Andria Babbington, is an immigrant and the first woman of color to lead the council, embodying the diverse workforce it represents. The council's involvement underscores the press release's assertion that the anti-immigrant movement is also “anti-worker,” arguing that attempts to divide the working class only serve to weaken it.

Joining them is the Urban Alliance on Race Relations, an organization founded in 1975 specifically to combat a wave of racist violence in the city. For nearly five decades, UARR has worked with community groups and government bodies to develop anti-racism policies and educational programs. Their participation highlights the historical continuity of the fight against bigotry in Toronto.

TEAM, a more recent grassroots collective, demonstrates the community-level response to hate. The group previously organized a “Community Art Rally and Call for Justice” in 2020 following a racist assault in the city's east end, showing a commitment to mobilizing local residents directly against incidents of hate.

“Labour and Civil Society organizations have a proud history and tradition of challenging racism and bigotry and standing against attempts to scapegoat vulnerable communities,” the organizers stated in a joint media advisory.

The Rising Tide of Xenophobia

The mobilization is not occurring in a vacuum. The anti-immigrant rally is being organized by Canada First, a group founded in 2024 by Joe Anidjar. The group's platform is built on slogans such as “Stop mass immigration. Start mass deportations,” a message that has grown more visible in recent months. A previous rally held by the group in September 2025 at Christie Pits Park resulted in violent clashes and multiple arrests, a scenario authorities are keen to avoid repeating.

Concerns about rising hate are backed by official data. According to the Toronto Police Service's 2024 Annual Hate Crime Statistical Report, the city recorded a record 443 hate-motivated occurrences, a 19% increase from 2023 and a staggering 203% rise since 2014. While these figures encompass all forms of hate, race-based reports make up a significant portion, and incidents targeting the South Asian community saw a sharp increase from 14 in 2023 to 41 in 2024. The city's public transit system has also become a flashpoint, with an 88% increase in reported hate crimes since 2023.

The UARR has publicly condemned what it calls an “exponential rise of discrimination,” noting that community organizations often must fill data gaps as marginalized groups may be reluctant to report incidents to police.

A 'Trump Effect' North of the Border?

Organizers of the counter-rally explicitly link the local protest to a larger, international trend, describing it as part of a “regressive, anti-worker, anti-immigrant movement which has been emulating the hateful, anti-democratic politics of Donald Trump south of the border.”

This sentiment resonates with analysis from political commentators and anti-hate watchdogs. The Canadian Anti-Hate Network has reported on the rise of far-right groups in Canada, now estimated to number over 100, which increasingly target immigrant communities, blaming them for Canada's housing crisis and other socio-economic pressures. This narrative appears to be gaining some traction, with a November 2024 government survey indicating that 54% of Canadian respondents believed “too many” immigrants were entering the country.

The political climate has also shifted. The new federal government, which took office in March 2025, introduced Bill C-2, the “Strong Borders Act,” a piece of legislation that critics have labeled “Maga-inspired” for its focus on accelerating deportations and restricting migrant rights. Advocacy groups like the Migrant Rights Network argue that both major political parties are “scapegoating migrants for the affordability crisis,” adopting a US-style anti-migrant agenda.

City Hall's United Front

In stark contrast to these trends, Toronto's municipal leadership has presented a unified front in support of the city's diversity. Several city councillors are expected to join Saturday's counter-rally to denounce the anti-immigrant protest.

Speaking ahead of the event, Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik has been adamant that “Hate has no place in the city of Toronto.” This position is shared across the council. In October 2023, the entire council, led by Mayor Olivia Chow, unanimously passed a motion titled “Keeping Toronto Safe from Hate,” condemning all forms of bigotry, including Islamophobia and antisemitism.

Mayor Chow, herself an immigrant from Hong Kong, frequently uses her own story to champion the city's multicultural fabric. Her election was widely viewed as a testament to Toronto's diversity. Other councillors have been equally vocal. Councillor Neethan Shan stated that the “xenophobia, these anti-refugee, anti-immigrant sentiments that are being spread deliberately to cause fear... needs to be stopped.” Meanwhile, Councillor James Pasternak has previously gone so far as to advocate for banning “hate sponsored rallies” on city property altogether.

This political solidarity is built on decades of official city policy, including a formal commitment to Equity, Diversity & Inclusion adopted in 2003 and a comprehensive Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism approved in 2017. As the two groups prepare to gather, the counter-protest organizers maintain that the focus on immigrants is a dangerous distraction. They argue that the economic and political problems faced by working people are not caused by immigrants, but instead by “wealthy corporations and the politicians who serve them.”