Prominent Toronto pro-Hamas organizer charged with terrorism offence

Police allege Ahmad Hassan Hajahmad acted in association with Hamas following years of open support for the designated terrorist organization and leading demonstrations in Toronto.

Scarlett Grace
  |   July 24, 2026   |   News Analysis   |   1 Comment

A prominent organizer of pro-Hamas demonstrations in Toronto has been charged with a terrorism-related offence after a joint investigation by the Toronto Police Service and the RCMP's Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET).

According to Toronto police, 33-year-old Ahmad Hassan Hajahmad, who is also widely known as Ahmad Jarrar, has been charged with one count of participating in or contributing to the activities of a terrorist group under Section 83.18 of the Criminal Code.

Police allege that during demonstrations near Bay Street and Front Street West on May 25 and September 7, 2024, Hajahmad used amplification equipment to make public statements advocating detestation and harm against members of the Israeli and Jewish communities.

Investigators executed a search warrant at a Toronto residence on March 7, 2025, seizing multiple electronic devices. Following a joint investigation, police allege they gathered evidence indicating Hajahmad acted for the benefit of, and in association with, Hamas, which Canada designated as a terrorist entity in 2002.

On July 20, 2026, the Attorney General of Ontario and the Government of Canada consented to proceed with the prosecution. Hajahmad was arrested the following day, appeared before the Ontario Court of Justice, and has since been released on bail.

A court-ordered publication ban currently limits what additional information can be disclosed.

Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said investigations into offences committed during demonstrations continue long after crowds disperse, adding that complex cases such as this demonstrate the importance of strong counterterrorism partnerships. Police also acknowledged the RCMP's INSET for its role in the investigation.

The charge follows years of Hajahmad's public involvement in Toronto's anti-Israel protest movement. He became a familiar figure at demonstrations following the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks, helping organize rallies, speaking at events, participating in the University of Toronto encampment in 2024, donating Palestinian flags, and at times coordinating with police during demonstrations.

His public statements have also drawn significant attention.

In a widely circulated video from April 2025, Hajahmad stated he was organizing a Toronto "Day of Rage" at the request of Hamas. In other videos, he described his movement as "an extension to the resistance in Palestine.” He has also delivered speeches repeating antisemitic claims about Zionist control of political institutions and urged that children be taught there is "no such country called Israel."

The arrest marks what appears to be the first terrorism-related charge laid against one of the most recognizable organizers in Toronto's pro-Hamas protest movement, nearly three years after demonstrations began following October 7.

Previous interactions with law enforcement, including mischief charges stemming from a smoke canister incident at Union Station in January 2025, carried far less serious consequences.

Given Hajahmad's years of highly visible organizing, repeated public statements, and even claims that he was acting at Hamas' request, many Canadians will reasonably ask why it took so long for a terrorism-related charge to be laid. Why is he also now out on bail? Authorities have long maintained they monitor criminal activity connected to demonstrations, yet it’s taken years for terrorism related charges to be laid.

Help Rebel News confront the pro-Hamas jihadis rioting in our streets!

Latest News

Rebel News is taking a stand against radical, pro-Hamas rioters by deploying our digital billboard truck and seasoned reporters to demonstrations across Canada. Our team is on the frontline, exposing and challenging these extremists taking over our streets. We urgently need your support to cover the costs of operating and maintaining the billboard truck and to hire security guards to protect the truck and our reporters. Your contribution will help us maintain a strong presence at these protests, defend journalistic freedom, and stand firm against these foreign extremists taking over our streets.

Amount
$
Donation frequency
DONATE

Scarlett Grace

Anti-Discrimination Reporter

Scarlett Grace is a Canadian journalist and musician from Peterborough, Ontario. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Trent University and has spent over a decade performing live and releasing original music.

In 2022, her involvement in Canada’s freedom movement marked a turning point in her career and public voice. She later joined Rebel News, where she works as an anti-discrimination journalist, reporting extensively on the rise of antisemitism in Canada and the Iranian uprising.

https://twitter.com/ScarlettGrace92

Featured Stories

COMMENTS

Showing 1 Comment

Please check your e-mail for a link to activate your account.
  • Bruce Atchison
    commented 2026-07-24 19:09:55 -0400
    Better late than never but it should have been done years ago.