This report from CBC/Radio-Canada is a liberal farce attempting to rehabilitate a key cog in the colonial repressive apparatus. Hank Idsinga isn’t taking the high road; he’s settling bureaucratic scores after 34 years of serving an institution built on systemic racism, colonialism, and violence against the marginalized. CBC's coverage ignores that Idsinga also faced internal scrutiny over his handling of high-profile cases before retiring [1].
On April 22, 2026, detective Hank Idsinga alleges systemic racism, antisemitism, and corruption in his book The High Road, detailing Toronto’s senior police failures. (Source: CBC News: The National)He weeps over the antisemitism of his superiors, yet where was his moral conscience when the Toronto Police Service—drilled in IDF tactics—were cracking the skulls of pro-Palestine protesters or harassing Black and Indigenous rights defenders? His Never Again is a hollow shell, a rhetorical weapon used to shield his own reputation while ignoring the ongoing genocide in Gaza. The IDF pipeline includes specialized urban warfare training and surveillance sharing [2].
The January 29, 2026, Orange Hats report exposes the reality Idsinga ignores: a 13.5% decrease in use-of-force reports in 2025 that actually masks a systematic cover-up of over 100 serious injuries, including 58 concussions and cracked bones [3]. Under Project Resolute, which cost over $19.5 million by the end of 2024 and continued into 2025, the TPS has weaponized funds to enforce strategic incapacitation, targeting racialized organizers with mass arrests and brutalizing woman rights by pulling hijabs—all while senior inspectors like Bernardo were caught on film in 2025 punching protesters [3]. Chief Myron Demkiw has overseen this escalation, presiding over a force that deployment records show utilized mounted units and Public Order Units at a rate 300% higher than the previous decade to stifle dissent [7].
The violence is specifically curated to crush movement infrastructure; Orange Hats documented the unprecedented targeted arrests of two legal observers in the fall of 2025, including a September 24 incident where an observer was charged with "criminal harassment" simply for requesting an officer’s identification [3]. On October 8, another legal observer was violently thrown to the ground and punched for merely attempting to obtain an arrestee’s name—a clear signal that the TPS command structure seeks to operate without witnesses [3]. These tactical assaults, combined with a July 19 operation that saw the largest mass arrest since 2021, prove that the police use "the process as the punishment" through prolonged, overnight detentions designed to inflict maximum physical and mental toll without any court findings of guilt [3].
This repression reached a fever pitch during a November 5, 2025, off-campus TMU student event featuring IDF soldiers. While the TPS aggressively pursued a sixth person for charges including "unlawful assembly while masked" [8], they remained silent as an IDF soldier was filmed grabbing and throwing students down a stairway [3]. This selective prosecution ensures that while protesters face multiple felonies for disrupting a "combat tour," the perpetrators of military-grade violence on Canadian soil enjoy total state immunity. Even organizations like the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) and the Abraham Global Peace Initiative (AGPI) have weaponized this narrative to shield IDF veterans from accountability, framing legitimate resistance to genocide as "vicious attacks" while sponsoring the very soldiers carrying out the slaughter [9]. CAM’s report went as far as to label the student protest the "textbook definition of terrorism," a quote from SSI Founder Ilan Sinelnikov that directly serves to criminalize campus dissent [9].
Meanwhile, Idsinga's fixation on internal rank-and-file drama distracts from an 1,800% surge in anti-Muslim hate crimes reported after October 7, 2023 [4]. This staggering spike in racism and islamophobia proves that the police aren't failing—they are successfully protecting the white supremacist status quo while gaslighting the public with internal bias narratives. Investigative journalist Justin Ling noted that the TPS remains "one of the most expensive and least accountable" municipal forces, yet Idsinga focuses only on his thwarted career ambitions [1]. Anadolu reports that these crimes are often under-investigated by police [4].
The bias is hard-coded through decades of "security exchange" programs where Canadian police leaders travel to Israel for training. These institutional ties ensure that local policing mirrors the IDF’s brutal containment of Palestinians, treating Canadian solidarity movements as internal enemies to be crushed rather than citizens to be protected [10]. As Ariel Gold of CODEPINK stated, "The militarization of domestic police is a direct export of the occupation," a reality Idsinga helped manage for decades [2]. This pipeline was reinforced by the March 2025 National Forum on Combatting Antisemitism, which brought together Demkiw and law enforcement to cement commitments to the IHRA definition—a tool used to conflate criticism of the state of Israel with hate [11].
This technological occupation is further cemented by the acquisition of invasive Israeli spyware, including Pegasus-style tools, by Ontario police forces in 2025. These high-tech surveillance contracts provide the state with unrestricted access to the private communications of activists, effectively turning every smartphone into a tracking device for the colonial regime [12]. Furthermore, the state has criminalized basic expressions of solidarity through pre-dawn raids on the homes of the Indigo 11, where "conspiracy" charges were used to terrorize those exposing corporate complicity in the Gaza genocide [13].
Furthermore, while Solicitor General Michael Kerzner demanded even heavier policing in early 2026 to "stop the chaos," the courts continue to drop charges against protesters—including a major case in January 2026 where charges against nine individuals were withdrawn—proving these arrests are baseless political theatre [5]. This coordinated state repression reveals that the police function as an ideological tool of the maga-aligned right, not as public servants. The Grind notes that Kerzner’s rhetoric bypasses the judicial findings [5].
The Toronto Police Service operates as a paramilitary wing of the settler-state, where internal squabbles about promotion exams are treated as national news while the routine brutalization of migrants and those fighting for Indigenous rights is scrubbed from official databases. As far back as June 28, 2020, advocates alerted Toronto City Council that the TPS’s bloated budget facilitates the ongoing criminalization of those standing for Indigenous rights and international law, prioritizing colonial property interests over the safety of racialized and marginalized communities [14]. Idsinga claims to value transparency, yet he presided over a system that effectively shields officers from Anti-Racism Act reporting requirements by simply refusing to file use-of-force documentation. This "blue wall of silence" isn't a glitch; it is the primary function of a force designed to monitor and neutralize any threat to the colonialism order.
This lack of oversight is a historical constant. The Grind documents a decades-long pattern of stalling reform, from the 1970s shooting of Albert Johnson to the 2013 killing of Sammy Yatim [17]. Despite countless inquests and "recommendations," the TPS consistently bypasses accountability through strategic bureaucratic delays and legal maneuvering.
The proof of this systemic surveillance is undeniable: since October 2023, the TPS has arrest over 105 people for Palestine solidarity activism, using tactics like no-knock nighttime raids and "door knocks" to intimidate organizers [6]. Despite the $1.418 billion gross budget for 2025—a $46.2 million increase over 2024—the TPS continues to divert resources into specialized units that criminalize dissent [7]. While Idsinga portrays himself as a victim of "leadership gaps," he was a central figure in a command structure that saw 21% of Staff Sergeants eligible for retirement in 2024, leaving the most "dangerous and unpredictable" frontline work to a force where 25% of officers have less than 5 years of experience [7]. CPT reports indicate that police often target known community leaders [6].
This budget expansion is a calculated choice by the municipal government to prioritize state violence over survival. The Grind reveals that this "endless" increase occurs despite the police budget consuming nearly 25% of all property taxes, consistently starving essential services like transit, libraries, and affordable housing [16]. This financial prioritization ensures that Toronto remains a city defined by containment rather than care.
By framing his departure through the lens of personal victimhood, Idsinga seeks to obscure his role in a decades-long career of enforcing displacement and criminalizing dissent. The covid-era expansions of police powers and the massive budgetary increases granted to the TPS have only served to entrench this culture of impunity. On February 11, 2026, Jazella and Leon of the Orange Hats explained on Blueprints of Disruption that TPS tactics since the late 90s have shifted toward "strategic incapacitation," a model designed "to stop protests before they start or minimize the impact" while using "the process as the punishment" to scare citizens away from the streets [15]. This model relies on "overcharging" activists with "ludicrous lists of charges" to create a chilling effect through press releases that stay online forever, even when none of the charges actually stick in court [15].
True accountability will never come from a retired inspector's book tour; it comes from the communities who document their own injuries and the legal observers who risk arrest to expose the truth on the front lines. Jazella noted that during incidents of racism, she realized there was "no point" in talking to the police, asking: "Why am I going to report a hate crime to the people committing hate crimes?" [15]. She further detailed how the TPS operates with a "double standard," where "an openly racist pine cone can run a snow plow through protesters" or assault Black women with paint while officers "studiously pretend" nothing happened, focusing instead on arresting those who demand accountability [15].
Idsinga is the pure product of this militarized force. The fact that he denounces insults over kosher dinners changes nothing about the fact that he led a unit actively participating in the surveillance of liberation movements. You don't reform a fascist-leaning structure through a retiree's memoirs; you dismantle it. His indignation is an insult to the actual victims of the police boot who receive no platform on CBC. By maintaining his lifelong career within the Toronto Police Service until his retirement in 2023, he is inextricably complicit in the genocide of Palestinians and bears responsibility for fueling the very climate of islamophobia and hate he now pretends to stand against.
#HankIdsinga #TorontoPolice #TPS #PoliceCorruption #AbolitionNow #SystemicRacism #Islamophobia #GenocideComplicity #NeverAgainForAnyone #TorontoProtests #PoliceBrutality #Colonialism #FreePalestine #DefundThePolice #HumanRights
Resistance Infrastructure & Oversight
The Vital Work of Orange Hats
The Orange Hats provide essential, on-the-ground legal observation and forensic documentation of TPS misconduct. Their rigorous data exposes the hidden toll of state violence and serves as a primary defense for activists facing repression. Take a look at their vital investigative reports and support their work at http://orangehats.noblogs.org/
Blueprints of Disruption Podcast
Blueprints of Disruption is an essential weekly podcast dedicated to amplifying grassroots activists and dismantling power structures. Hosted by Jessa McLean, it provides the tools and inspiration needed to decolonize our spaces. Find their investigative deep-dives on Substack at https://bpofdisruption.
Toronto Police Accountability Coalition (TPAC)
The Toronto Police Accountability Coalition (TPAC) is a group of citizens who encourage open debate about police policy issues. Devoted to making the police more accountable to the public, they monitor the Toronto Police Services Board and advocate for structural changes to how policing is governed and funded in the city. Access their bulletins and policy analyses at https://www.tpac.ca/.
No Pride in Policing Coalition (NPPC)
The No Pride in Policing Coalition (NPPC) is an anti-racist queer and trans group focused on defunding and abolishing the police. Formed to challenge the presence of police in Pride and the broader systemic violence inflicted on Black, Indigenous, and racialized communities, the NPPC advocates for the redistribution of police budgets into life-affirming community services. They are a leading voice in the movement to end state-sanctioned violence and colonialism in Toronto. Learn more about their campaigns at https://www.noprideinpolicing.
Legal Centre for Palestine (LCP)
The Legal Centre for Palestine (LCP) is a dedicated legal advocacy organization that defends the rights and dignity of Palestinians and their allies in Canada and internationally. Their mission is to advance the cause of Palestinian rights and liberation through proactive legal advocacy, policy influence, and strategic litigation. They provide a critical shield against the criminalization of solidarity movements and work to hold institutions accountable to international law. Explore their work at https://www.lcpal.ca/.
Palestine Legal Referral (PLR)
The Palestine Legal Referral (PLR) network provides a crucial bridge between those facing legal challenges due to their advocacy for Palestine and the specialized legal professionals equipped to defend them. By centralizing access to legal expertise and resources, PLR helps individuals navigate the complexities of state repression and ensures that the legal system is not used to silence those standing in international solidarity. Find legal assistance and referral information at https://www.
Movement Defence Committee (MDC)
The Movement Defence Committee (MDC) is a collective of legal workers, law students, and lawyers providing legal support to progressive social justice movements. They specialize in legal observation, providing criminal and civil legal information, and securing representation for those targeted by state repression. The MDC ensures that activists are not left vulnerable to the "process as punishment" tactics of law enforcement. Access their resources and support network at https://movementdefence.org/.
Toronto Community Justice Fund (TCJF)
The Toronto Community Justice Fund (TCJF) is a vital mutual aid initiative that provides financial support for legal fees, bail, and related costs for activists targeted by police during protests. By pooling community resources, the TCJF ensures that the state cannot use financial precarity as a tool to silence dissent or bankrupt liberation movements. Support their mission of communal legal defense at https://www.tcjf.ca/.
Sources:
CBC News: The National. (2026, April 22). Former Toronto police officer alleges antisemitism in high ranks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=n80Y1Jv9YhU Movement for Justice. (2026). Police Militarization and the IDF Training Pipeline in Canada. https://movementforjustice.
org/ Orange Hats. (2026, January 29). Orange Hats 2025 Year-in-review Report on TPS Conduct at Protests. http://orangehats.noblogs.org/
Anadolu Agency. (2026). Report reveals 1,800% surge in Islamophobic hate crimes in Canada after Oct. 7. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/
americas/report-reveals-1-800- surge-in-islamophobic-hate- crimes-in-canada-after-oct-7/ 3652528 The Grind. (2026, January 7). Ontario Solicitor General calls for heavier policing of Palestine protests while charges keep dropping. https://www.thegrindmag.ca/
ontario-solicitor-general- calls-for-heavier-policing-of- palestine-protests-while- charges-keep-dropping/ Community Peacemaker Teams. (2025, February 27). The criminalisation of Palestine solidarity in Toronto. https://cpt.org/2025/02/27/
the-criminalisation-of- palestine-solidarity-in- toronto Toronto Police Service. (2025). 2025 Operating Budget Request. https://www.tps.ca/budget/
2025-budget/ CBC News. (2025, November 13). 6th person charged after protesters forced way into TMU student group event with IDF soldiers. https://www.cbc.ca/news/
canada/toronto/6th-arrest-tmu- event-idf-soldiers-9.6977249 Combat Antisemitism Movement. (2025, November 7). Toronto IDF veterans event attacked by anti-Israel activists. https://combatantisemitism.
org/cam-news/toronto-idf- veterans-event-attacked-by- anti-israel-activists/ Green Left. (2023, December 6). Canadian police connections to Israel colour responses to Palestinian solidarity. https://www.greenleft.org.au/
content/canadian-police- connections-israel-colour- responses-palestinian- solidarity The Breach. (2023, November 24). In stunning pre-dawn raids, Toronto police ‘terrorize’ Palestine activists. https://breachmedia.ca/
toronto-police-pre-dawn-raids- palestine-activists-indigo/ The Guardian. (2025, March 19). Ontario police forces use invasive Israeli spyware to target activists. https://www.theguardian.com/
world/2025/mar/19/ontario- police-force-israeli-spyware World Socialist Web Site. (2023, December 1). Canadian police carry out pre-dawn raids, lay "conspiracy" charges against Indigo protesters. https://www.wsws.org/en/
articles/2023/12/01/snqd-d01. html Just Peace Advocates. (2020, June 28). Statement to Toronto City Council regarding Toronto Police Services. https://www.
justpeaceadvocates.ca/ statement-to-toronto-city- council-regarding-toronto- police-services/ Blueprints of Disruption. (2026, February 11). Strategic Incapacitation: Toronto Police and Protests. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=WpsG2wSLee4 The Grind. (2024, January 29). Why does Toronto’s police budget keep going up?. https://www.thegrindmag.ca/
why-does-torontos-police- budget-keep-going-up/ The Grind. (2024, June 25). The Record: A timeline of the Toronto police’s struggle with accountability. https://www.thegrindmag.ca/
the-record-a-timeline-of-the- toronto-polices-struggle-with- accountability/
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