Jews allege rights violations at rallies

TORONTO, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- The Canadian Jewish Congress alleges anti-Semitic slurs were shouted at pro-Palestinian rallies in three cities this month, and are demanding police action.

At a Toronto news conference Wednesday, congress leader Bernie Farber said local police in Calgary, Toronto and Montreal along with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police had been asked to review videos of the rallies, Sun Media reported.

The rallies were in response to the 3-week old Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip in retaliation for rocket attacks.

Sara Saber-Freedman of the Canada-Israel Committee told reporters the photos and videos of protesters with anti-Semitic placards were alarming evidence of a new phenomenon in Canada.

"What we see is a dangerous trend in importing what's happening in the Middle East into our communities, into our streets," she said.

One of the placards seen in a video posted on the Internet YouTube sharing site shows a placard with the Star of David, an equal sign and a swastika.