BREAKING: Police stop Rebel billboard truck, investigating alleged 'hate crime'

Toronto police stopped the Rebel News billboard truck after receiving a hate crime complaint related to a sponsored ad from Canadian Women's Sex-Based Rights, an organization that advocates for women's safety, privacy and fairness in sport.

| July 23, 2026 | News | Be the first to comment

UPDATE: Toronto police have left the scene. Officers advised they were responding to a complaint about the billboard's contents. After investigating, they took no enforcement action and allowed the Rebel News billboard truck to continue operating.

We will update this story if additional information becomes available.

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Article originally published at 1:47 p.m. ET

Toronto police have stopped the Rebel News digital billboard truck and are reportedly investigating the message currently displayed on it as a possible hate crime.

The truck is displaying a paid advertisement from the Canadian Women's Sex-Based Rights (CAWSBAR), an organization advocating for women's safety, privacy and fairness in sport, which has been running the ad for several days.

Thank you for the coverage, @RebelNewsOnline @SheilaGunnReid & @menzoid! We had a fantastic day renting the Rebel billboard truck and... we trended on X for two days! 🎉

Support our work here:https://t.co/1fl1ZyhUdB https://t.co/siE77uqyp7
— Canadian Women's Sex-Based Rights (@cawsbar) July 21, 2026

The advertisement reads in part: "Women and girls deserve safety on the field, privacy and dignity in the locker room, and fairness on the podium." It also states that "males are invading female sports."

Here is the full text of the ad, and you can see the footage being displayed below too:

Women and girls deserve safety on the field, privacy and dignity in the locker room, and fairness on the podium.

But males are invading female sports

It's happening more and more

*6,251 first-place finishes stolen from women since 2024
*HeCheated.org

It's time for a red card

Males out of female sports

Together we can save women's sports

Flash that red card

Sign up today at CAWSBAR.ca

cawsbar.ca/save-womens-sports

At the time of publication, two Toronto police cruisers had stopped the truck while officers investigated the complaint.

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Help us defend the Rebel News billboard truck

We've been through this before. The last time Toronto police targeted our billboard truck over a lawful sponsored message, we hired lawyers, fought back—and won.

It looks like we're going to have to do it again.

If police pursue this investigation any further, we'll once again be forced to retain legal counsel. If you believe police should not be investigating peaceful political speech, please help us defend the truck by contributing through the secure donation form below.

This is not the first time Toronto police have targeted the Rebel News billboard truck while it was displaying paid advertising.

In 2024, the Toronto Police Hate Crime Unit launched an investigation into another sponsored campaign displayed on the truck. Rebel News retained legal counsel, fought the investigation, and ultimately continued operating the vehicle.

The Rebel News billboard truck exists because too many advertising companies refuse to carry controversial—but lawful—messages. It has become one of the most effective ways to bypass censorship and bring important debates directly to Canadians.

This story is developing. We'll continue updating this page as more information becomes available.