A judge has dismissed Ontario’s bid to block an Al-Quds Day protest planned for Saturday afternoon in Toronto.

Lawyers representing the province were in court, asking a judge to block the demonstration after Premier Doug Ford he condemned the demonstration as “hateful”.

But less than an hour before the protest was scheduled to begin, Justice Robert Centa ruled the province did not meet the legal test required to prevent the protest from going ahead.

“The application for an interim interlocutory injunction is dismissed,” he ruled, adding there was insufficient evidence that the protest would lead to significant criminal activity or that police could not maintain the peace.

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“The right to assemble and speak freely must be maintained in times of global conflict,” Centa added.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he was “extremely disappointed” by the court’s decision to allow the protest to proceed.

Al-Quds Day is described by organizers as an annual demonstration showing support for Palestinians. The Toronto event is also expected to include calls for “no war in Iran and Lebanon,” according to social media posts promoting the rally.

Stephen Ellis, legal counsel for the Al-Quds Day demonstration, said the rally is meant to give participants a chance to speak out against war in the Middle East.

“This day is very, very important. Right now the Middle East is on fire, in Iran, in Lebanon, in Palestine, so being able to express ourselves against war is really important,” Ellis said.

Meanwhile, in a post on social media, Ford described Al-Quds Day as “a venue for antisemitism, hatred, intimidation and the glorification of terrorism.”

“I won’t stop working to put an end to the hatred and division that runs too rampant on Canada’s streets,” Ford wrote.

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association, however, said seeking to shut down a protest before it begins is “an extraordinary and dangerous step” and warned it threatens Charter-protected freedoms.

Police have closed several streets in downtown Toronto Saturday as people start to gather for the protest.

– With files from The Canadian Press

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