Toronto police report that the Hate Crimes Unit is investigating an incident of vandalism at the constituency office of Davenport MP Julie Dzerowicz.

This week, Dzerowicz’s Bloor Street West office was defaced with red paint and a sign posted outside the window read, “Arms Embargo Now. Julie! End the Canada-Israel Arms Trade.”

Speaking to reporters in Ottawa on Wednesday, Dzerowicz stated that the incident occurred around 1 a.m. on Tuesday. She mentioned that the suspects, dressed in black, wrote the message “Rafah is burning, Toronto will too” on the building.

Dzerowicz, a Liberal MP first elected to the riding in 2015, is the Chair of the Canada-NATO Parliamentary Association and serves on the House of Commons Parliamentary Finance Committee.

In a statement released by her office on Wednesday, Dzerowicz described the graffiti as “particularly troublesome and threatening language that impacts the sense of safety in my office and how we serve the residents of Davenport,” emphasizing that dialogue is key.

“I understand that tensions are high as the circumstances in Gaza in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war are very difficult and challenging. Like many Canadians I am also struggling with the ongoing attacks and the tragic human toll. It is a complex, dynamic, and highly charged situation,” she wrote. “But to move forward in finding how Canada can best support a path to peace we have to be able to talk to each other–especially when we might disagree on how best to move forward.”

She referenced a recent incident where gunmen opened fire on a Jewish girls’ school in Toronto. Although nobody was injured, no charges have been filed, and the hate crimes unit is supporting the investigation.

“In a democracy, protests can be messy and even ugly, but they are a critical right,” Dzerowicz stated. “However, that right does not include threats, hate speech, or vandalism. When that happens, it is important that we all take action to ensure things do not escalate into more dangerous situations, like the shooting at the Bais Chaya Mushka School for Girls in North York on May 26.”

Dzerowicz clarified that while she does not consider the vandalism at her office to be hate speech, it was indeed threatening.

Toronto police have not released any details about possible suspects so far.