WATCH: Anti-Iran activist waving Canadian flag mauled by pro-Hamas crowd in Toronto as police watch on

Pro-Palestinian and Hamas demonstrators attacked an Iranian-Canadian activist, dislocating his shoulder, and tried to snatch a Canadian flag he was waving at a protest rally in downtown Toronto on Saturday.

This is an excellent point. As a proud Canadian I always put my country first. ????????

Here’s how the crowd reacted when @SalmanSima was holding the Canadian Flag.

This is even more horrifying to me because this happened today in Toronto, Canada in 2023.

They’re not just attacking… https://t.co/LOjc3TMc1t pic.twitter.com/eA1Sd7szoL

— Goldie Ghamari, MPP | گلسا قمری (@gghamari) December 24, 2023

In a video shared on X,  Salman Sima, who counter-protested at pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Toronto, can bee seen seen struggling with protesters who attempt to grab a Canadian flag from him.

“…Here’s how the crowd reacted when @SalmanSima was holding the Canadian Flag. This is even more horrifying to me because this happened today in Toronto, Canada in 2023. They’re not just attacking other countries. They’re attacking the Canadian flag. On Canadian soil,” Goldie Ghamari, an Iranian-Canadian who is a staunch supporter of Israel, said on X.

In another video on X, Sima is seen struggling with protesters to keep his “lion and sun” version of the Iranian flag, used by opponents of the Islamic regime of Iran.

After the incident, Sima said he was in hospital with a “small minor fracture” of his shoulder and other minor injuries.

“Thank you everyone for your concern, it was just a dislocated shoulder and a few minor injuries. But they couldn’t dislocate me from the Lion and Sun flag. If you lose the Flag you lose everything,” Sima posted on X.

Thank you everyone for your concern, it was just a dislocated shoulder and a few minor injuries. But they couldn’t dislocate me from the Lion and Sun flag. If you lose the Flag you lose everything.#IraniansStandWithIsrael pic.twitter.com/O7Ngkhgz9H

— Salman Sima (@SalmanSima) December 23, 2023

“Today we stood against the radical jihadist antisemite mob in Toronto. They tried to intimidate us, they grabbed our sign, they attack us, they assaulted us,” he added.

Other videos showed Sima arguing with a Toronto police officer who objected after the Canadian flag flew into his face as Sima held it. Sima was also seen holding a Israeli flag and placard wishing people a Merry Christmas amid the large crowd of pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

“@TorontoPolice reached another level of incompetence and cowardice. If you wave the Canadian flag and say #MerryChristmas you are talking too much, but If you chant for genocide against jews, block the side walk and major intersections, death threating the people they are fine with,” said Sima on X.

.@TorontoPolice reached another level of incompetence and cowardice.If you wave the Canadian flag and say #MerryChristmas you are talking too much,but If you chant for genocide against jews,block the side walk and major intersections,death threating the people they are fine with. https://t.co/CAhGXW1euK

— Salman Sima (@SalmanSima) December 25, 2023

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators have held similar marches in Toronto and other Canadian cities every weekend for months.

For Saturday’s protests, social media accounts had touted the theme of “no Xmas as usual,” with organisers arguing there should not be a sense of holiday normalcy as Israel targets Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

With inputs from agencies