The Liberal Party of Canada shows its support and sympathy with the Syrian Soufi’s restaurant in Toronto that was reopened last week after a few days of closure because of alleged online threats and hate messages directed at the owners and their son Alaa Soufi DaLua.
A since-deleted Facebook post from the Syrian restaurant confirmed that Alaa Soufi DaLua had been one of the protesters against an event featuring MP Maxime Bernier and expressed sincere regret about the situation that occurred. In a video that went viral, a few masked protesters are seen harassing an elderly couple, blocking their way and shouting “Nazi scum” at an 81-year-old woman.
Another video documented Alaa Soufi DaLua’s participation in demonstrations alongside activists affiliated with the left wing group Anifa. Some of these demonstrations turned into violent clashes.
On October 13, 2019 Glen McGregor, a senior journalist covering Parliament Hill for CTV National News, reported that the Trudeau campaign bus was served a lunch from Soufi’s restaurant in Toronto that included a Syrian flatbread and taboulleh.
Katie Telford, Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, commended the restaurateur Mohamad Fakih for his role in supporting Soufi’s restaurant and implicitly facilitating Soufi’s lunch for the Trudeau campaign bus:
Milkshake at Fran’s. Thanksgiving event with Masai Ujiri (yeah @Raptors !). Lunch from Soufi’s (way to go @mohamadfakih8!). Toronto, I ❤️ you. Day not over yet! #HappyThanksgiving #WetheNorth
Trudeau campaign bus. Picture: Twitter – Justin Trudeau
