Podcast Summary: Rebel News Podcast

Episode: EZRA LEVANT | We finally found a billboard Toronto police think is offensive
Date: December 20, 2025
Host: Ezra Levant
Guest: Scarlett Grace (new Rebel News journalist)

Overview

This episode dives into escalating tensions between Toronto’s Jewish community and pro-Hamas activists, policing failures, and media intimidation. Ezra Levant breaks down how Rebel News’ billboard truck campaign spotlighted a controversy over prosecution (or lack thereof) of anti-Semitic incidents, centering on allegations against a senior Toronto Police lawyer, Falguni Debnath. The episode also introduces Scarlett Grace, Rebel News’ latest team member, and explores her transition from art world to activism, with a segment on political shifts and protest reporting.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. A Phone Call from Power & Police Pressure

• Ezra opens with a bombshell: a “very, very senior, powerful political person in Toronto” privately requested he stop the Rebel News billboard truck exposing alleged police inaction ([00:00], [15:42]).
• Quote: “I was asked by this extremely senior person to withdraw the truck and no longer ask the questions, to which I said...has the mayor withdrawn her accusation?” ([16:13])
• Ezra refused the demand and doubled down by redeploying the truck.

2. Toronto: A Changing City for Jews

• Ezra reflects on his upbringing, Toronto’s once harmonious Jewish life, and a perceived seismic shift post-October 7, 2023 Hamas attack in Israel ([01:30]-[04:43]).
• Cites attacks on Jewish institutions and intimidation of Jewish residents.
• Quote: “I looked at Toronto as a pretty Jewish city or at least a city where it was very easy to be Jewish. Well, that's changed, I'll tell you that.” ([02:53])

3. Tolerance for Pro-Hamas Activism & Police Inaction

• Since the Gaza war began, Jewish neighborhoods face repeated harassment and attacks, while police seemingly exercise restraint compared to the crackdown on truckers ([07:37]-[08:48]).
• Ezra highlights what he sees as hypocrisy and selective legal enforcement.

4. Mayoral Accusations & the Falguni Debnath Controversy

• Mayor Olivia Chow claims police inaction is due to legal blockages by police lawyer Falguni Debnath ([09:18]).
  • Quote: “There's the human rights, the charter rights concern, and that some of the charges basically thrown out. So why keep doing it if it doesn't work?” – Olivia Chow ([09:39])
• Police Chief disputes Chow's narrative, pushing back against implication of a departmental legal blockade ([10:31]).
  • Quote: “Well, listen, I don't know where she's getting that narrative.” – Toronto Police Chief ([10:39])
• Ezra heavily scrutinizes Debnath’s background, emphasizing her Pakistani origins and work at the UN, suggesting possible bias ([11:10]-[12:15]).

5. Media Pushback & Threats Toward Journalists

• Toronto Sun’s Joe Warmington reported on the legal bottleneck, facing threats from police communications staff ([12:44]).
  • Quote: “Stephanie Sayre, the press attache for the Toronto police, said to Joe that there would be consequences...if he continued to report it and didn't delete his stories.” ([12:55])
• Rebel News responds by sending their billboard truck to police HQ, posing uncomfortable questions ([13:08]-[14:30]).
  • Audio snippets: David Menzies attempts to engage both police and public, mostly met with silence or evasion ([13:35]-[15:31]).
  • Humorous tone: “Is my English not understandable or am I encountering a disproportionate number of deaf people working at police headquarters?” – Menzies ([15:32])

6. Personal Recounts of Police Arrests for Journalism

• Ezra and David Menzies share experiences of being arrested during coverage of protests, contrasting their treatment with that of pro-Hamas activists ([20:07]-[22:54]).
  • Quote: “I'm a Jew. I'm a citizen and I'm your boss, and I don't leave because you say Jews aren't on the streets.” – Ezra Levant ([20:39])

7. Community Reaction & Anti-Semitism Concerns

• High traffic for these stories in the Toronto Sun suggests widespread public concern ([23:30]).
• Ezra repeatedly emphasizes the risk of further violence, referencing the Bondi attack in Australia as a warning.

8. Introduction of Scarlett Grace

• Scarlett, new to Rebel News, shares her origin story from “Freedom Convoy” participant to activist-journalist ([28:49]).
  • Quote: “The freedom convoy freed me. So I just kept speaking up and speaking my mind, and it’s eventually led me here.” – Scarlett ([28:49])
• She details her confrontation with pro-Hamas protesters in Toronto and the resilience required to continue reporting ([34:17]).

9. Scarlett’s On-the-Ground Reporting

• Bathurst and Shepherd: Regular, often tense, standoffs between pro-Hamas and Jewish groups, even on significant Jewish holidays.
  • She is surrounded and yelled at by pro-Hamas activists but remains calm ([34:17]).
  • Quote: “They swarmed me, tried to have a conversation… no justifiable argument, of course, just shrieking.” – Scarlett ([35:34])
• Markham MP Controversy: Grassroots anger at a party-switching MP whom many see as influenced by foreign powers ([36:33]-[37:56]).

Memorable Quotes & Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote/Description | |-----------|---------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Ezra | “I got a call from a very, very senior, powerful political person in Toronto asking me to stop our truck…” | | 09:39 | Olivia Chow | “There's the human rights, the charter rights concern, and that some of the charges… so why keep doing it?” | | 10:39 | Chief | “I don't know where she's getting that narrative.” | | 11:10 | Ezra | “One would want to know…is this woman the reason that there have been few, if any, charges made?” | | 12:55 | Ezra | “Stephanie Sayre…said to Joe that there would be consequences…if he continued to report it…” | | 15:32 | Menzies | “Is my English not understandable or am I encountering a disproportionate number of deaf people…” | | 20:39 | Ezra | “I'm a Jew. I'm a citizen and I'm your boss, and I don't leave because you say Jews aren't on the streets.” | | 28:49 | Scarlett| “The freedom convoy freed me. So I just kept speaking up… and it’s eventually led me here.” | | 35:34 | Scarlett| “They swarmed me, tried to have a conversation…no justifiable argument, of course, just shrieking.” |

Important Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00 – 01:30: Ezra’s phone call story, premise for the episode
• 02:53 – 07:30: Transformation of Jewish life in Toronto, rising anti-Semitism
• 09:18 – 10:39: Mayor Chow and Police Chief debate legal block on charges
• 13:08 – 15:32: Billboard truck at police HQ, public reactions and police silence
• 16:13: Ezra describes the secret phone call and pressure to halt reporting
• 20:07 – 23:30: Personal experiences with police arresting Rebel News journalists
• 28:49 – 31:55: Scarlett Grace’s journey to activism and journalism
• 34:17 – 35:34: Scarlett’s encounter with pro-Hamas protesters at Hanukkah event
• 36:33 – 37:56: Reporting on MP’s party switch and public reaction

Conclusion

This episode follows Ezra Levant’s combative, defiant tone as he challenges Toronto authorities over their response to anti-Semitic and pro-Hamas activism, sparking a fiery back-and-forth with police and city officials. The mysterious behind-the-scenes pressure only fuels his resolve and tabloid-style journalism. The introduction of Scarlett Grace provides a personal angle, linking Canada’s protest culture with high-stakes reporting on community conflict and political intrigue.

Listeners learn:

• Details about the accusations at the heart of Toronto policing controversies,
• The culture of intimidation faced by journalists probing sensitive issues,
• Vivid, sometimes confrontational on-the-ground reporting from Toronto’s hot spots,
• The ongoing transformation of the city’s social fabric, particularly for Jews,
• The emergence of new journalistic voices forged through activism.

Tone: Defiant, urgent, investigative, and peppered with populist sentiment and sardonic humor.

For full context, listen to the full episode, especially timestamped sections above.