Hate Crime & Legal Update: Arrest in Nova Scotia Over Genocidal Hate Posts
- Rochelle Direnfeld
- Jun 15
- 2 min read
This past week, New Glasgow Police arrested Luke Alexander MacDonnell, 22, of Pictou Landing, Nova Scotia. Police were alerted to disturbing social media posts identified by online watchdog “Leviathan” on the X platform. The posts called for the death of all “Zios” and those who support them. They are among the most chilling and extreme examples of calls for genocide against Israelis, Zionists, and Jews seen in Canada to date. The threats also targeted Western democracies and praised designated terrorist organizations.
MacDonnell is charged with:
Advocating and promoting genocide by posting social media statements to kill all Israelis, Jewish people, and their supporters
Public incitement of hatred against an identifiable group
Wilful promotion of hatred against an identifiable group
The New Glasgow Police acted decisively within 36 hours of receiving a complaint. The police undoubtedly recognized the danger to the community posed by the accused’s virulent call for violence. This kind of hate speech all too frequently motivates others to target vulnerable communities—in this instance, Israelis, Jews, all Zionists, and those who support them.
Sadly, the commendable, swift, and efficient response by local police stands in sharp contrast to the treatment by some other police services and provinces of equally egregious and unequivocal hate speech that supports terror groups, but fails to command this level of attention or urgency.
MacDonnell will next appear in Pictou Provincial Court on July 14, 2025. In the meantime, he is subject to strict conditions of release, including firearms and weapons prohibitions, frequent reporting to police under the supervision of sureties, a daily curfew, and a prohibition on the use of the Internet, social media, and texting or use of similar electronic devices and media except in narrow supervised circumstances.
We will continue to monitor this case, interact with police and prosecutors across the country when hate crimes have allegedly been committed, and report to our members and subscribers on criminal law developments of importance.
About the Author
Rochelle Direnfeld is ALCCA's Senior Criminal Counsel. She was called to the Ontario bar in 1990 and has served in the Ontario Public Service for over 32 years as an assistant crown attorney, deputy crown attorney, crown counsel, and finally as a deputy director for Toronto Crown Attorneys in the Criminal Law Division of the Ministry of the Attorney General. Rochelle retired from public service at the end of 2023. During her career, Rochelle prosecuted a wide variety of Criminal Code cases in the Ontario Court of Justice, Superior Court of Justice, and the Ontario Court of Appeal.
Rochelle focused a large part of her career on youth criminal justice, developing policy as well as training and lecturing crowns, the defence bar, the judiciary, and the police. Since 2018, Rochelle has been committed to battling hate motivated offences and has sat on the Attorney General’s Hate Crime Working Group, providing legal advice to crown counsel and police on hate crimes. In the aftermath of October 7, Rochelle returned to work with the Hate Crime Working Group at Crown Law Office - Criminal until November 2024. Rochelle also serves as vice-chair of the Board of Directors of BOOST Child and Youth Advocacy Centre, a wrap-around agency serving children and youth who have been victims of abuse, as well as their families.