Overview

• Gezim Topalli was arrested at his Halifax home on Tuesday after public tips and was charged on Wednesday.
• He faces three counts of mischief related to religious property, three counts of property damage, and one count of public incitement of hatred.
• Police documented six racist graffiti incidents over the weekend targeting the Beth Israel and Shaar Shalom synagogues and a Chabad‑affiliated building.
• The vandalism included swastikas and the phrase "Jews did 9/11," with additional tags reported in nearby public areas.
• Police urged continued reporting of hateful incidents as Statistics Canada data show 920 police‑reported antisemitic incidents in 2024.