Six people were arrested or ticketed during the annual Walk with Israel event in Toronto on Sunday after several incidents involving counter-protesters and event participants, according to the Toronto Police Service.

Police say the event, held near Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue West, drew both tens of thousands of supporters and a handful of protesters, with tensions escalating after some demonstrators allegedly left a designated protest zone and entered the walk route.

According to investigators, 35-year-old John Eusebio of Toronto was charged with assaulting a peace officer after allegedly refusing police orders to clear the route and then spitting on officers during a confrontation. He is scheduled to appear in court on August 12.

Police also charged 60-year-old Ghada Hamouda of Toronto with obstructing a peace officer. Officers allege Hamouda left the designated protest area, entered the walk route, and refused multiple directions to return to the approved demonstration zone.

A similar charge was laid against 39-year-old Diana Bosco of Toronto. Police allege Bosco was among a group of protesters who moved to the entrance of Earl Bales Park, attempted to provoke participants in the walk, and ignored repeated lawful orders to leave the route.

Police say 40-year-old Ali Reza Hojjati of Richmond Hill, who was attending the Walk with Israel, became involved in a verbal dispute with a protester and allegedly spat toward the individual and their sign. He was charged with assault and is scheduled to appear in court on September 2.

Toronto Police also reported that a woman was arrested for breach of the peace after allegedly displaying anti-Israel signage and engaging in conduct that officers say inflamed tensions between demonstrators and event participants. She was later released without criminal charges.

In a separate incident, a sixth man was investigated for operating a remotely piloted aircraft system, commonly known as a drone, and was issued a ticket under Canadian Aviation Regulations.

The arrests come amid heightened security concerns at Jewish community events across Canada following a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents since the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Police are asking anyone with information about the incidents to contact investigators or Crime Stoppers anonymously.

The Walk with Israel, organized annually by Toronto's Jewish community, is the largest pro-Israel public event in Canada.