Montreal: The prime ministers of Canada and Italy were scheduled to attend a party in Toronto on Saturday, but it was canceled due to “security concerns,” according to the office of the Canadian leader, amid demonstrations in support of Palestine.
According to Canadian media reports, hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists had assembled in front of the Art Gallery of Ontario, where Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni was scheduled to be hosted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The Canadian prime minister’s office spokesman, Jenna Ghassabeh, stated, “The event was cancelled due to security concerns,” without providing any other information. In advance of a leaders’ summit that will take place in Italy in June, Meloni, whose nation is now holding the rotating chairmanship of the Group of Seven (G7), is in Canada.
The two leaders had discussions earlier in the day about what Meloni called a “very difficult Middle East crisis.”
Canadian public broadcaster CBC reports that demonstrators were against Canada’s response to Israeli aggression. The CBC reported that between 200 and 300 protestors participated in the demonstration.
Social media users were sharing images and videos of the police stationed close to the exhibition.
