Olivia Chow defends record on handling Israel-Hamas war tensions [Video]

Mayor Olivia Chow is defending her handling of protests over the Israel-Hamas war that have rocked the city over the past year, a day after she faced criticism for missing a vigil to mark the anniversary of the Oct. 7 terrorist attack which sparked the war.

In a sit-down interview with CP24 Breakfast Thursday, Chow was asked to address the perception that not enough is being done to police alleged hate speech at some protests, including calls for Israel’s destruction.

“The chief of police has the authority to lay charges if it’s a hate crime, and he has done that, and in Canada, the rule of law says that if there is a hate crime being committed, it is the police that make the decision who to arrest and who to charge, not a politician,” Chow said. “You don’t want that right, because you know, that’s what democracy is about.”

Chow told CP24 that …