Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney recognized Palestine in September at the United Nations General Assembly — an announcement Chow’s spokesperson said Global Affairs Canada later confirmed directly with the city.

Bashar Alshawwa, a Palestinian activist living in Toronto said the flag raising wouldn’t be possible without the Canadian government.

“We need to remember that, without the brave historical step by the Canadian government led by Mr. Carney, recognizing the Palestinian people’s rights to self-determination and the Palestinian state, is the reason why we’re celebrating such a huge move,” he said….

Videos taken at the ceremony by Caryma Sa’d, a Canadian lawyer and independent journalist, showed police confronting a man who was protesting the flag raising by playing the Canadian national anthem on a speaker.

Police turned the speaker off, so the man and people around him continued to sing a capella and finished the anthem.