Canadian Academics & Professionals Vandalize Indigo Bookstore
The attackers singled out the store’s Jewish owner
Share:
The Attack
On the anniversary of Kristallnacht and just one month after the October 7 massacre, anti-Israel activists in Toronto targeted Indigo Books and Music.
Descending on the bookstore in the city’s upscale downtown district at 4:15 a.m., a group of 11 militant activists, including a professor from York University and other professionals, vandalized the property.
Posters of the store’s Jewish CEO, with claims that she was funding genocide, were glued to the store’s windows and red paint was splashed on the property.
The incident, which took place on November 10, 2023, occurred before any significant response by Israel to the horrific October 7 attack in which thousands of Hamas terrorists and civilians breached the border and proceeded to slaughter, rape and kidnap 1,200 Israelis, including women, children and babies.
Although Israel had begun precision bombings of known Hamas sites, Israel’s ground invasion into Gaza had barely started and talk of a “genocide” was ill-founded.
Yet, this group of anti-Israel activists – unbothered by the irony of supporting a terrorist organization whose charter calls for the genocide of Jews and which had just broadcast live their October 7 murder spree – were looking for a target upon which to unleash their hatred of Israel.
Their choice was Indigo’s founder and CEO Heather Reisman, a Jewish philanthropist who initiated a scholarship fund in 2005 supporting young Israelis with no family in the country. The scholarships are for young adults who completed their mandatory service in Israel and are now pursuing undergraduate studies.
Since 2007, Canada’s pro-Hamas crowd has singled out Reisman as the “emblem of [Israel’s] occupation” of Gaza and the target of protests. These activists appear to be unconcerned that Israel completely withdrew from Gaza in 2005.
Vandals Arrested
On November 14, 2023, Toronto Police made the first arrest in connection with the vandalism. By November 22, 10 more were apprehended. The next day, police announced that the 11 would be charged with “criminal mischief over $5,000” and “conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.” The incident was also being investigated as a hate crime.
On November 30, the police announced that each of the “Indigo 11” would be charged with an additional count of criminal harassment.
The vandals were mainly academics and professionals, including a professor and a number of post-doctoral fellows and elementary school teachers, raising questions about the state of both higher and lower education in Toronto:
- Leslie Wood, a sociology professor at York University. Wood was suspended and is still on sabbatical as of February 2025
- Karl Gardner, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Toronto and a lecturer at the University of Waterloo. Gardner says he was put on administrative leave from both of his positions and his contracts were left to expire. Charges were eventually dropped against Gardner
- Nisha Toomey, a postdoctoral researcher at Toronto Metropolitan University who received a PhD in social justice education from the University of Toronto. Toomey pleaded guilty and received an absolute discharge
- Sarom Rho, a coordinator at Toronto Public Library. Charges were dropped against Rho
- Suzanne Narain, a PhD candidate in social justice education and women and gender studies at the University of Toronto and an elementary school teacher
- Stuart Schussler, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Waterloo in Toronto who received a PhD in environmental studies from York University
- MacDonald Scott, an immigration consultant and paralegal
- Sharmeen Khan, a financial coordinator for the York University Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the largest union in Canada. Khan also works full-time at Ontario Public Interest Research Group at York University
- Ian Doty, an elementary school teacher in the Toronto School District. Doty was put on “home assignment” after the incident. Charges were dropped against Doty
- Clement Cheng, occupation unknown. Charges were dropped against Cheng
- Mercedes Lee, an activist with the No One Is Illegal organization in Toronto
Victimhood and Entitlement
The individuals who were arrested for vandalizing the Indigo bookstore have not expressed remorse for their actions. On the contrary, those who have spoken out have communicated a sense of victimhood and entitlement.
After her court appearance, Toomey, who pleaded guilty, wrote in the socialist news outlet The Maple, “... protesting amidst a genocide is a right in a liberal democracy. … (it) is an act of love.”
Toomey characterized her vandalism as merely going “outside the inadequate forms of protest deemed to be ‘acceptable.’” She decried the fact that “regular people” like herself face “criminalization” for such “protests.”
Toomey also excoriated Indigo for “[using] the court system against those seeking to bring attention to its CEO’s support of former Israeli military members.”
Nowhere in Toomey’s screed was an acknowledgement of her illegal and deliberate destruction of private property. On the contrary, Toomey painted herself as the victim.
“Facing criminal charges brings terrifying risks to one’s employment, housing and other aspects of life,” she wrote. “Yet perhaps the scariest consequence is the idea that the protester has done something ‘wrong’ at a time when those in charge … are supporting and funding genocide.”
Despite the fact that the “protest” took place at the very beginning of the war, Toomey was already convinced of Israel’s guilt. “From the very start, I knew it would be a genocide,” she stated.
Even the judge, who gave Toomey an absolute discharge, the lowest level adult sentence in Canada, seemed to have considered Toomey a victim. (Under an absolute discharge, the case is closed with no conviction record. Probation is also waived.)
Toomey writes,
“The judge said, “It is clear you try to make the world a better place. In my view, any reasonable member of the public fully apprised of the circumstances of this offence and your personal circumstances, would come to appreciate that you did not get away easy.
“You have had criminal charges hanging over your head for over a year, which led to great disruption to your professional and personal lives, not to mention the unfavourable media attention you had to endure, and the execution of search warrants. You have contributed to communities far and wide in the past, and continue to do so today [emphasis added.”
At a protest outside Toronto police headquarters on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, Gardner characterized the arrests as a way “to silence Palestinian solidarity activists.”
He added, “It’s absurd that people are facing these charges for the alleged act of simply putting up posters and washable paint.”
At the same protest, Rachel Small, an organizer with World Beyond War, argued, "It seems clear that police were attempting to put a chill on and to intimidate the rapidly expanding Palestine solidarity movement six months ago in Toronto."
Charges Dropped
In May 2024, the prosecution dropped all charges against Doty, Cheng, Gardner and Rho, citing insufficient evidence for a "reasonable prospect of conviction."
In late 2024, the extra charge of criminal harassment against the remaining seven was dropped.
By January 2025, two of the accused who pleaded guilty were given absolute discharges.
As of January 2025, the criminal mischief cases against the five remaining were pending. Recent developments, including the dropping of charges and the absolute discharges, suggest a shift in the legal perspective on the case. In addition, it seems clear that the prosecution is no longer treating the vandalism as a possible hate crime.
More Attacks on Indigo
In August 2024, less than a year after the Kristallnacht attack, Indigo served a cease-and-desist letter to a group calling itself Indigo Kills Kids. The group was responsible for a campaign spearheading a “renewed push to boycott Indigo.”
Indigo argued in court that Indigo Kills Kids’ web content, which closely imitates Indigo’s logo and design, constituted a copyright infringement and was harming Indigo’s brand. The judge agreed and ruled that the group’s content needed to be removed from the internet for two years.
Media attention to the case sparked calls for a general boycott of Indigo. September 25, 2024, was named as a day of general protest outside all Indigo chains.
In February 2023, Indigo faced a ransomware attack that severely disrupted its operations. The attack put the company's website and payment systems offline for nearly two months and compromised the personal information of its current and former employees.
Indigo decided not to pay the ransom to avoid potentially funding terrorism or organized crime.
As Canada’s only major English bookstore chain, the attack wreaked significant damage to the company.
Profiles
Karl Gardner [Karl Sebastian Gardner] was arrested in November 2023 for vandalizing a Jewish-owned business during Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists.
On November 22, 2023, Karl Gardner was arrested and charged with “mischief over $5000” and “conspiracy to commit an indictable offence,” according to records obtained from the Toronto Police Service Hate Crime Unit.
The incident occurred at the Indigo bookstore in Toronto during Israel’s war against Hamas. Israel launched the war after the October 7, 2023, terror attacks. Hamas murdered approximately 1,200 Israelis, injured thousands and kidnapped hundreds more that day. For more information, see the Canary Mission page on Hamas.
As of March 2025, Gardner was listed on the University of Waterloo (UW) website as a lecturer in the Social Development Studies program. UW is located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
As of May 2024, Gardner was listed as a former postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto (UofT).
Gardner received a PhD in political science from York University (York) in 2021.
Lesley Wood was arrested in November 2023 for vandalizing a Jewish-owned business during Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists.
On November 22, 2023, Lesley Wood was arrested and charged with “mischief over $5000” and “conspiracy to commit an indictable offence,” according to records obtained from the Toronto Police Service Hate Crime Unit.
The incident occurred at the Indigo bookstore in Toronto during Israel’s war against Hamas. Israel launched the war after the October 7, 2023, terror attacks. Hamas murdered approximately 1,200 Israelis, injured thousands and kidnapped hundreds more that day. For more information, see the Canary Mission page on Hamas.
On November 27, 2023, The Globe and Mail reported that Lesley Wood was one of three other York University (York) employees who "have been placed on leave from their jobs after they were charged in connection with hate-motivated mischief over the defacing of a Toronto Indigo bookstore."
On November 30, 2023, Wood posted on her personal website about her arrest: "I, like others charged, have been suspended from my position at the university."
As of March 2025, Lesley Wood was listed on York website as a professor in the Department of Sociology. York is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
MacDonald Scott [Mac Scott] was arrested in November 2023 for vandalizing a Jewish-owned business during Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists. He has also expressed support for Hamas terrorism.
On November 14, 2023, MacDonald Scott was arrested and charged with "mischief over $5000 and "conspiracy to commit an indictable offence," according to records obtained from The Toronto Police Service Hate Crime Unit.
The incident occurred at the Indigo bookstore in Toronto during Israel’s war against Hamas. Israel launched the war after the October 7, 2023, terror attacks. Hamas murdered approximately 1,200 Israelis, injured thousands and kidnapped hundreds more that day. For more information, see the Canary Mission page on Hamas.
As of April 2024, McDonald Scott was listed as one of the organizers of the Movement Defence Committee (MDC), an organization that provides 'legal support and training for activists in Toronto and beyond."
As of March 2025, McDonald Scott was listed as working as an immigration consultant at Carranza LLP in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
As of the same date, McDonald Scott was listed as having graduated from York University (York) with a bachelor's degree.
Nisha Toomey [Nisha Geis] was arrested in November 2023 for vandalizing a Jewish-owned business during Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists. She also expressed support for Hamas terrorism and spread hatred of Israel. Toomey is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
On November 14, 2023, Toomey was arrested and charged with “mischief over $5000,” according to records obtained from the Toronto Police Service Hate Crime Unit.
The incident occurred at the Indigo bookstore in Toronto during Israel’s war against Hamas. Israel launched the war after the October 7, 2023, terror attacks. Hamas murdered approximately 1,200 Israelis, injured thousands and kidnapped hundreds more that day. For more information, see the Canary Mission page on Hamas.
As of June 2024, Nisha Toomey was affiliated with the anti-Israel campus group at the University of Toronto (UofT), UofT Occupy for Palestine (Occupy UofT).
As of March 2025, Nisha Toomey's LinkedIn profile said she worked full-time as a postdoctoral researcher at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and was located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Also as of March 2025, Nisha Toomey was listed online as a learning coach and dissertation/thesis specialist.
As of the same date, Nisha Toomey's LinkedIn said she received a PhD in social justice education from UofT in 2022.
Sarom Rho was arrested in November 2023 for vandalizing a Jewish-owned business during Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists.
On November 22, 2023, Sarom Rho was arrested and charged with “mischief over $5000” and “conspiracy to commit an indictable offence,” according to records obtained from the Toronto Police Service Hate Crime Unit.
The incident occurred at the Indigo bookstore in Toronto during Israel’s war against Hamas. Israel launched the war after the October 7, 2023, terror attacks. Hamas murdered approximately 1,200 Israelis, injured thousands and kidnapped hundreds more that day. For more information, see the Canary Mission page on Hamas.
In November 2023, Toronto Sun reported that Rho was "an organizer with the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change and a self-declared leader with Migrant Students United."
As of March 2025, Rho was listed as working as a coordinator at Toronto Public Library in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Sharmeen Khan was arrested in November 2023 for vandalizing a Jewish-owned business during Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists. She has also expressed support for Hamas terrorism and spread hatred of Israel.
On November 22, 2023, Sharmeen Khan was arrested and charged with “mischief over $5000” and “conspiracy to commit an indictable offence,” according to records obtained from the Toronto Police Service Hate Crime Unit.
The incident occurred at the Indigo bookstore in Toronto during Israel’s war against Hamas. Israel launched the war after the October 7, 2023, terror attacks. Hamas murdered approximately 1,200 Israelis, injured thousands and kidnapped hundreds more that day. For more information, see the Canary Mission page on Hamas.
As of March 2025, Sharmeen Khan was listed on the York University (York) website as finance coordinator at the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Local 3903 (CUPE 3903).
In June 2024, Sharmeen Khan's bio on the Ulex Project's website said she was "an organizer with No One Is Illegal – Toronto and is also on the editorial collective of Upping the Anti : A Journal of Theory and Action. She also coordinates the training collective in Toronto called Tools for Change – an activist based training series that aims to give hard skills to new organizers.. She currently works at a small union local with the Canadian Union of Public Employees and her waged labour is mostly as a bookkeeper..."
As of March 2025, Sharmeen Khan's Facebook page said she was located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Stuart Schussler was arrested in November 2023 for vandalizing a Jewish-owned business during Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists.
On November 14, 2023, Stuart Schussler was arrested and charged with “mischief over $5000” and “conspiracy to commit an indictable offence,” according to records obtained from the Toronto Police Service Hate Crime Unit.
The incident occurred at the Indigo bookstore in Toronto during Israel’s war against Hamas. Israel launched the war after the October 7, 2023, terror attacks. Hamas murdered approximately 1,200 Israelis, injured thousands and kidnapped hundreds more that day. For more information, see the Canary Mission page on Hamas.
As of March 2025, Stuart Schussler's LinkedIn profile said he was a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Waterloo (UW) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
As of the same date, Stuart Schussler's LinkedIn said he received a PhD in environmental studies from York University (York) in 2023.
Suzanne Narain was arrested in November 2023 for vandalizing a Jewish-owned business during Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists.
On November 22, 2023, Suzanne Narain was arrested and charged with “mischief over $5000” and “conspiracy to commit an indictable offence,” according to records obtained from the Toronto Police Service Hate Crime Unit.
The incident occurred at the Indigo bookstore in Toronto during Israel’s war against Hamas. Israel launched the war after the October 7, 2023, terror attacks. Hamas murdered approximately 1,200 Israelis, injured thousands and kidnapped hundreds more that day. For more information, see the Canary Mission page on Hamas.
As of March 2025, Suzanne Narain was listed as an organizer and activist with Jane and Finch Action Against Poverty (JFAAP) and Black Creek Food Justice Network.
As of the same date, Suzanne Narain was listed as a PhD candidate in the joint Social Justice Education and Women and Gender Studies program at the University of Toronto (UofT) and an elementary school teacher.
UofT is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.