Ottawa Police Services (OPS) is investigating after receiving complaints about the use of hate speech at a demonstration on Saturday.
The event held on Parliament Hill was in relation to the Gaza Strip. Police have a video of the incident and the Hate and Bias Crime Unit is investigating.
“The service is in close contact with community leaders and institutions, and we understand the community’s concerns,” OPS said in an email to CityNews Ottawa.
According to reports by the Canadian Press, a video posted online included the voice of a man praising the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas that killed 1,200 people in Israel.
Hate speech, symbols and other hate-motivated incidents are unacceptable, police said.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre weighed in on X saying the messages displayed were “malicious.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote on X on Sunday: “There is a difference between peaceful protest and hateful intimidation.”
With files from The Canadian Press.