Peace activists protest Canadian arms fair on October 21.
World BEYOND War’s Canada Organizer’s
Home Targeted in Pre-dawn Police Raid
World BEYOND War
(November 26, 2025) — WBW Canada Organizer Rachel Small and three other peace activists had their homes raided by police before dawn on Tuesday, with the apparent purpose to frighten and intimidate.
Five people have been charged with crimes for having nonviolently stood up to war criminals at the London Ontario arms fair last month held by Elbit, Lockheed, and other weapons companies.
On Tuesday October 21 more than a hundred people gathered at dawn in London, Ontario, to disrupt one of Canada’s leading military trade shows. Catching the “Best Defence Conference” by surprise, they blockaded entrances, locking out the companies, military, and government reps who had been arming genocide and profiting from war.
The action exposed Canada’s complicity in war crimes at home and abroad, and uplifted the demand for an arms embargo on Israel and an end to Canada’s military expansion. It was covered by major local and national media outlets from CBC, CTV, and the Toronto Star, to London Free Press and the Canadian Press.
Now people with the decency to protest the arming of a genocide are facing enormous legal bills. A fund to assist them has been set up by Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) – Toronto.
ACTION: Please donate what you can here.
WBW Canada Organizer Rachel Small
Police Conduct Pre-Dawn Raids And Arrest Several Activists In Southern Ontario
Ron East / Iinternational Jewish News
Note: In this report, IJN mischaracterizes the targeted protestors as “Pro-Palestinian” when the more correct discriptive would be “pro-peace.”
TORONTO (November 28, 2025) —Police carried out coordinated pre-dawn raids across Southern Ontario, resulting in several arrests of pro-Palestine activists, according to organizers and advocacy groups. Reports circulated early on November 25, 2025, claiming that multiple homes were entered and devices were seized as part of what organizers described as a “series of coordinated raids.”
World BEYOND War Canada and other organizers posted public statements saying the raids targeted individuals involved in recent pro-Palestine actions. One organizer wrote that “police arrived before dawn, seized phones and computers, and detained activists across several cities.” Another statement said the raids represented a “clear escalation” and called for “urgent legal support.”
Police services have not issued a single unified statement confirming a coordinated multi-jurisdictional operation; however, several forces have recently confirmed arrests in protest-related cases.
The Toronto Police Service (TPS) released details of one investigation on November 6, following a disruptive incident at a private pro-Israel event involving former IDF speakers. TPS stated that five individuals had been arrested after demonstrators “forced their way into a private event,” adding that property was damaged and “one attendee was injured.” In the release, TPS said officers acted after “multiple attempts to de-escalate the situation” and emphasized that the investigation would continue.
In a formal statement on that incident, TPS said: “Where there are allegations of criminal behaviour police must investigate.” The service added that it works to “ensure public safety while respecting the legal rights of all individuals.”
The newly reported early-morning raids, though not linked publicly by police to a specific case, come amid heightened tensions over protests tied to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Activists claim the latest actions were linked to previous demonstrations, including those involving alleged trespassing, vandalism, or forced entry. Legal support organizations circulated emergency notices on social media asking for witnesses, documentation and financial support for detainees. One message said, “We need community help immediately to support those arrested.”
Past cases provide context for the current concerns. In November 2023, Toronto police executed early-morning warrants in an investigation into vandalism at an Indigo bookstore. That operation received widespread attention and raised ongoing questions among civil liberties groups about the use of pre-dawn warrants in politically charged cases.
Legal experts note that Canadian police may execute warrants at night if a justice is satisfied that grounds exist, though the threshold must be justified. The Criminal Code outlines offences frequently associated with protest-related investigations, including mischief, forcible entry, unlawful assembly, and obstruction. Civil liberties advocates say early-morning warrants can have significant impacts on individuals beyond the immediate investigative purpose, especially in cases linked to political movements.
Despite the absence of a coordinated police statement, police services across Southern Ontario have continued to update their media portals with protest-related arrests. Toronto Police, Peel Regional Police, and Hamilton Police have all emphasized the distinction between peaceful protest and criminal conduct. TPS reiterated in its November 6 release that it “supports lawful and peaceful demonstrations” but will “lay charges where evidence shows that criminal offences have occurred.”
Pro-Israel groups have raised concerns for months over the escalation in protest activity, particularly incidents that extend into intimidation, forced entry, vandalism, or the targeting of Jewish community institutions. Some organizations have called for stronger enforcement and clearer guidelines to distinguish protected protest from harassment or criminal behaviour. The arrests of the past week have become part of that broader debate, with different communities urging police to act decisively while respecting civil rights.
Activist groups maintain their position that the raids were an overreach. They argue police are using criminal processes to deter political dissent. One organizer wrote that “the early-morning raids are meant to intimidate,” adding that supporters “must remain vigilant.”
As investigations progress, more formal legal filings and court appearances are expected to clarify the charges and jurisdictions involved. For now, the public record contains a mix of police-confirmed protest arrests and organizer-reported pre-dawn raids, underscoring the need for continued monitoring of official police releases as further details emerge.
