Ottawa cancels public ceremony for Israeli flag-raising, citing security concerns

OTTAWA — City officials say they’ve cancelled a flag-raising ceremony at Ottawa City Hall to mark the establishment of Israel because of security concerns.

The flag will be raised next Tuesday, but a ceremony involving the mayor, diplomats and members of the Jewish community will not go ahead. 

The city says it has intelligence that suggests the event would pose a substantial risk to public safety, though it is not offering details.  

The group Ottawa 4 Palestine had shared on social media that it planned to protest at the event.