One complaint sparked a 'hate crime' police probe into our women’s rights billboard truck
Toronto police investigated our billboard truck’s women’s rights message for a 'hate crime' after one person claimed it made them feel “unsafe.”
Article by Rebel News staff
Our billboard truck promoting women’s sex-based rights became the subject of a police investigation in downtown Toronto after one person complained the message made them feel “unsafe.”
The truck was displaying a campaign from the Canadian Women's Sex-Based Rights (caWsbar), calling for women and girls to have safety in sport, privacy in changing areas, and fairness in competition.
But what should have been a normal expression of political advocacy quickly escalated into a police investigation over whether the message itself could constitute a hate crime.
The truck was travelling through Toronto when our driver, Mark, stopped on St. Clair Avenue to grab a coffee and use the restroom.
When he returned, he found a police cruiser parked behind the vehicle.
Officers told Mark they were responding to a complaint. They confirmed there were no parking issues, traffic violations, or public disturbances connected to the truck.
The only issue raised was the message displayed on the side of the vehicle.
The complaint came from an individual who claimed they felt “unsafe” because of the billboard’s message defending women’s sex-based rights.
Rebel News journalists Lincoln Jay and Efron Monsanto documented the encounter as officers examined the billboard and discussed whether the message could amount to a criminal offence.
The complainant refused to be filmed, despite filming Rebel News journalists themselves, and demanded police stop our journalists from recording the interaction. Officers correctly told the individual it was public property and the journalists have every right to film.
The question facing police was whether advocating for women’s safety, privacy, and fairness in sport crossed the line into hate speech.
After reviewing the complaint and assessing the content of the billboard, police determined that no crime had been committed.
The investigation was closed and the incident was classified as a disagreement between individuals over political expression in a public space.
However, the episode raises serious questions about the increasing use of police resources to investigate lawful political speech.
Our billboard did not promote violence or hatred. It called for protections for women and girls in sport and private spaces.
Yet a single complaint was enough to trigger a police response and an investigation into whether that message itself was unlawful.
For those concerned about free speech, the incident represents a troubling trend: the possibility that controversial opinions are increasingly being treated as matters for police rather than public debate.
When a billboard truck advocating for women’s rights can trigger a hate crime investigation, the implications for open democratic discussion extend far beyond one vehicle on a Toronto street.
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Ezra Levant
Rebel Commander
Ezra Levant is the founder and owner of Rebel News and the host of The Ezra Levant Show. He is the author of multiple best-selling books, including Ethical Oil, The Libranos, China Virus, and most recently, Trudeau's Secret Plan.
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COMMENTS
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Angela Watt commented 2026-07-24 10:33:16 -0400People need to understand that Canadians are no longer allowed to speak freely. Due to the multiple laws passed, anyone can complain & it will be dealt with harshly. Because of this, it is one way of forcing compliance on those of us who disagree that a girl can become a boy & a boy can be a girl. It’s ridiculous but I cud go to jail for saying exactly that!! I don’t understand how people didn’t see this coming. All they had to do is read the freaking Bills being proposed. I contacted as many Senators as I could to tell them to stop this B.S. but no, I believe they’re all now laws or will be laws on the books soon. It’s truly disgusting, arrogant & vile. -
Bruce Atchison commented 2026-07-23 21:09:18 -0400I think that Napoleon want-to-be figured he could get Rebel in trouble. I’m glad the police treated him like a frightened old lady and drove him home. How nice that his prank backfired and he looked like a wimp.
