There’s been an arrest in the suspected hate motivated vandalism of the King of Kensington statue in Toronto’s Bellevue Park.
(A photo posted on X on Feb. 24 of the vandalized statue of Al Waxman in Kensington Market. Michael Leavitt/X)

Toronto Police have arrested a suspect whom they say has spray painted graffiti at a number of parks in downtown Toronto between February 20th and the 26th.

Images circulated on social media showing the bronze statue depicting the late Jewish actor Al Waxman defaced with the words “Vote for Hamas.”

41 year old Matthew Doyle of Toronto has been arrested and charged with five counts of mischief.

There have been a number of other cases of anti-semitic vandalism since the start of the Israel Hamas war after the terror attack on Israel October 7th.

One of those cases was the recent plastering of anti-Israeli posters on the Thornhill office of Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman, who is Jewish.

Lantsman told Zoomer Radio’s Fight Back with guest host Jane Brown, she is fine in the wake of the incident, but has concern for area residents and business owners.

“We are so well taken care of my our local police, all of the tools that we have as parliamentarians,” Lantsman explained, “What I fear is that those in the community don’t feel safe going to places like we’ve seen over the last number of weeks. We need to put a stop to all of this for the staff in my office, for those who share our little plaza and everybody in the community who wants to feel safe going out to whatever they want to do.”

Lantsman is one of several members of parliament who now has RCMP protection.