WARMINGTON: People in charge prioritizing anti-Israel protests over kids in distress

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The lack of interest over an ambulance with a child on board being rerouted so as to not disturb an anti-Israel protest is disturbing.

But it sends a message: An eight-year-old’s life is not as important to those who run Toronto as the often-masked pro-Palestinian demonstrators. They are in charge. These are their streets and emergency services will have to work around them should they decide to block majority intersections – something they regularly do.

A close second down the pecking order is the public service, followed by the political class who make mountains of taxpayer cash while seeming to enforce the laws on those who counter-protest or cover the protests, but hardly ever on those who lead the protests.

The mayor, premier, prime minister and heads of emergency services all know who the boss is. It’s not the people who pay the freight. It’s those involved in the protests — some of whom harass and threaten Jews.

It’s their city. They call the shots here.

The reaction to this troubling emergency call Saturday at Yonge and Bloor Sts. shined a light for all to see. Some people see it, but they all know where the power lies and who holds it. Anti-Israel protesters can seemingly do what they want, when they want and to whomever they want.

If not for social media, this would never have been outed. But the Documenting Reality account and street journalist/lawyer Caryma Sa’d and her cameraman captured key evidence that should have had top officials saying in unison that enough is enough with protesters shutting down Toronto.

The premier’s office didn’t respond to questions about it. The police didn’t respond to follow-ups, but the day before a spokesperson said the “ambulance did not activate its lights or sirens – a clear indication of an emergency – and officers were not advised of any urgent need to clear a path.”

New evidence has emerged showing that is not true. Documenting Reality and Sa’d’s videos show the ambulance’s emergency lights were flashing and one video also captures a siren doing a “whoop, whoop.” In addition, EMS sources told the Sun it was an emergency call that faced challenges en route to Sick Kids hospital and it’s considered an emergency any time a child is in an ambulance.

This time the priority was the anti-Israel protest. It mattered more.

“Toronto paramedics are accustomed to manoeuvring through a variety of road conditions throughout the city on a daily basis,” Toronto Paramedic Services said in a statement. “Paramedics respond to calls via the route that provides the fastest response based on conditions at the time of dispatch, which may include the use of emergency warning systems (lights and/or sirens). If an issue does arise that impacts our ability to respond, we will work with the appropriate city partners and agencies to resolve it as quickly as possible.”

The statement also said “specifically related to the call on May 17, the first paramedic was on scene within four minutes of the call being received in our communications centre, followed by a transport ambulance which arrived approximately seven minutes later. The patient was transported in non-life-threatening condition to a local hospital.”

It’s merely a word salad.

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The mayor’s office offered a similarly oblique response: “Police will clear a path in an emergency and have told us they so far have had no issues with demonstrations not moving aside. The mayor believes public safety is a top priority and that emergency vehicles should be able to pass, and has confidence that the police will facilitate a path through any street blockage, whether it’s a demonstration or celebration, and that people participating will co-operate.”

Even the Toronto Civic Employees Union Local 416 was blase about the incident: “Toronto Paramedics use their expertise to assess each patient and determine the safest, most appropriate route from the scene. Decisions are guided by patient acuity, operational protocols and input from management and other city services. Our members are committed to delivering safe, timely care.”

They might look at it differently if it was their child who was in an ambulance being blocked by people calling for an intifada revolution.

These institutions are just covering their rear ends. Not the cops in the street or the paramedics, but people who are more interested in power than they are in standing up for public safety. What, in my view, should happen is for this to be taken seriously and the call to be reviewed to ensure no ambulance is blocked by a protest again.

But that might upset anti-Israel demonstrators.

Meanwhile, AM640’s Greg Brady reported on his show Tuesday that he heard from the child’s aunt and the eight-year-old is reportedly doing fine – which is the only positive in this story.

It could have easily not worked out this well. It certainly looks like those in charge couldn’t care less either way.