An award-winning Toronto Sun photographer says he’s pleased police have opened an investigation after he was attacked by a protester at a weekend rally.
Stan Behal, a photographer with the Sun for 36 years, was lunged at and repeatedly struck on the head while on assignment Saturday at a City Hall rally where the crowd included hostile and masked Antifa demonstrators.
“It was a pound on the top of the head,” recalled Behal, who added he was struck three times in an unprovoked attack by a grey-shirted assailant, who leapt at the veteran lensman as he captured images of the rally.
“One I partially blocked, then he grabbed me and pulled me in and pounded my head with his left hand, trying to make it look like he was just swiping my hat.”
Police assigned an investigator to the case after meeting with Behal Wednesday. Calls and e-mails to police requesting comment went unreturned.
Hundreds of anti-racists and far-left agitators assembled on Nathan Phillips Square to counter a demonstration planned by an Alberta-based hate group.
The racists never showed up, leaving the counter-protestors alone with media and the police.
“When he lunged at me, I felt — maybe falsely — relatively secure, being one foot away from 18 or 20 officers that had created a bicycle barricade between the demonstrators and City Hall,” said Behal, currently on medical leave after suffering a concussion in the attack. However, police officers did not intervene.
Sun columnist Sue-Ann Levy, who was conducting an interview next to Behal, recalled an “incredibly hostile” crowd raring for a fight.
“It was the first time in my 30 years in the business that I felt scared to be at a rally,” she said.
“They had no reason to get angry or to have a fight on Saturday — the neo-Nazis didn’t show up.”
Levy expressed frustration at the lack of response from officers.
“They just stood there,” she said, recalling one actually laughing as Behal was attacked.
“It sends a strong signal to the angry mob — and to this attacker — that they can get away with this behaviour.”
Saturday wasn’t the first time Behal has found himself on the receiving end of physical admonishment.
In 2001, he was following Tie Domi into an NHL disciplinary hearing when Leafs coach Pat Quinn grabbed Behal by the neck and shoved him out of the way.
Quinn was fined $10,000 and Behal received a formal apology.
Behal said the decision to file charges sends the message that attacking journalists is never acceptable.
“This seems to be a trend that more and more journalists I talk to — and I talk to a lot — are seeing the frequency of vitriol directed at them,” he said, describing it as a workplace safety issue.
“The police have to take this seriously — and our employers have to take this seriously — because we’re not going to stop covering the news.”
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