A Toronto police constable has been arrested on serious criminal charges, including three counts each of sexual assault and assault, plus four counts of mischief.

Const. Farhan Ali, 39, a 14-year veteran and former member of the Muslim Liaison Unit, was taken into custody by Peel Regional Police in February and has been suspended with pay by Toronto Police Service (TPS) under Ontario's Community Safety and Police Act.

Sources cited by Toronto-based journalist Joe Warmington say that the allegations are unrelated to his on-duty conduct.

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The name may sound familiar from early 2025, when Ali appeared in full TPS uniform on the "Project Olive Branch" podcast alongside Const. Haroon Siddiqui.

The pair dismissed criticisms of post-October 7 pro-Palestinian rallies as mere "Islamophobia," with Ali arguing that such labels created an "Islamophobic undertone," while Siddiqui pointed to a surge in people "reverting" to Islam after the Hamas massacre, suggesting many were educating themselves on why Muslims were being "targeted."

Those same rallies the officers defended often featured overt pro-Hamas elements: chants glorifying "resistance," calls for "global intifada," waves of Hamas flags, "from the river to the sea" slogans widely interpreted as calls to eliminate Israel, explicit praise for the October 7 atrocities as legitimate "freedom fighting," and even cosplay or reenactments of Yahya Sinwar – the Hamas mastermind behind the massacre.

Masked protesters openly mocked and enticed Toronto's Jewish neighbourhoods, recreating Sinwar’s final moments in a blood-stained chair to glorify his "martyrdom."

Counter protesters at Bathurst and Sheppard recreate the final moments of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who threw a stick at the Israeli drone before his assassination. #cdnpoli #Toronto #Palestine #Israel #Gaza #ProtestMania pic.twitter.com/CT8KrfS2ak

— Caryma Sa'd - Lawyer + Political Satirist (@CarymaRules) November 24, 2024

This stood in stark contrast to the longstanding, peaceful Israel solidarity events like Toronto's annual Walk with Israel, which have drawn massive crowds for decades to show support without ever glorifying terror, violence, or genocide.

The podcast episode sparked immediate outrage in Toronto's Jewish community, still mourning the 1,200 killed on October 7, 2023, and the ongoing hostage crisis.

Scathing report alleges 450 Hamas operatives live in Canada, including top financier

CSIS informed Global News it is investigating Canadians in Middle East terror groups but offered no details.https://t.co/GcSzoRw6Vx

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) November 19, 2025

Toronto police removed the video and issued a pointed apology from Chief Myron Demkiw, acknowledging the "profound pain and anguish" caused and reaffirming their commitment to protecting Jewish communities.

Although the charges against Ali haven’t been proven in court, he won’t be returning to active duty.

As Toronto police contend with the sweeping conspiracy and corruption allegations tied to Project South, it really brings into focus the gap between accountability and oversight—something even their own internal report flagged.

It’s especially concerning when programs meant to build trust in communities can so easily miss, or even downplay, problematic rhetoric and behaviour.