Conservative MP Jacob Mantle is asking Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand to investigate the recent attack on a Falun Gong practitioner protesting outside the Chinese Consulate in Toronto, and to expel the attacker if he is found to be an agent of Beijing.
“Violent actions against peaceful demonstrators are not acceptable in Canada,” Mantle said in a letter to Anand that he posted on social media on Oct. 13. “I am sure you will agree that it is unacceptable for foreign state actors to engage in this behaviour, which undoubtedly violates all accepted norms of diplomatic conduct.”
Conservative MP Jacob Mantle asks a question during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on June 4, 2026. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick
Videos from the Sept. 22 incident show a man wearing a jacket bearing the flag of the People’s Republic of China attacking Lina Li, a Toronto-area Falun Gong practitioner. Li was standing outside the consulate with a banner display raising awareness about the Chinese communist regime’s persecution of the Falun Gong spiritual discipline.
The man dismantles the banners while uttering threats in Chinese, telling Li, “I’ll shoot you dead,” adding that the public sidewalk Li is standing on is “Chinese territory” and that under China’s “Anti-Secession Law,” he can “throw you to your death.” Li sustained a bloody chin as a result of the incident.
The man is also seen attempting to kick the person recording the attack, Nora Geng, another Falun Gong practitioner who was protesting outside the consulate.
The Toronto Police Service, which responded to the incident on the ground, said the issue is under investigation.
In his letter, Mantle asks Anand to “promptly investigate” the incident and, if it’s confirmed that the attacker is a “Chinese diplomat or otherwise a non-Canadian employed by a foreign power, that you take all necessary measures to remove this individual from Canada.”
“Foreign agents have no right or immunity to threaten or intimidate any person in Canada,” Mantle wrote. “As can be readily seen in publicly available videos of the incident, the man accosts the demonstrator, destroys her signage, and threatens her with violence and with the application of Chinese law.”
Mantle notes that in the lead-up to the April 2025 election, Prime Minister Mark Carney had said China is Canada’s number one security threat. The MP also referred to the foreign interference inquiry chaired by Justice Marie-Josée Hogue, which said in its final report in January 2025 that Beijing is “the most active“ foreign power meddling in Canada’s affairs.
“Consequently, it is incumbent upon you as Minister of Foreign Affairs to act when China seeks to undermine democracy and freedom in Canada,” Mantle said.
Falun Gong practitioners and supporters have also called on Anand to condemn the attack and to raise the issue with the Chinese regime.
“This attack is not an isolated event,” Falun Gong practitioner Kathy Gillis said at a rally outside the Global Affairs Canada building in Ottawa on Sept. 28. She was reading from a statement issued by the Falun Dafa Association of Canada (FDAC).
Falun Gong practitioners and supporters hold a rally outside Global Affairs Canada in Ottawa on Sept. 28, 2026, to ask the government to condemn the attack on Falun Gong practitioners that took place outside the Chinese Consulate in Toronto on Sept. 22, 2026. Jonathan Ren/The Epoch Times
The FDAC asked Anand to raise the issue with the Chinese regime, “conveying that any attempt to intimidate, threaten, or suppress people in Canada for their beliefs or lawful expression is unacceptable.” The association also requested that Anand seek clarification from the Chinese mission as to whether any of its diplomats or affiliated personnel were involved in the attack, and asked the government of Canada to take appropriate diplomatic measures if this was confirmed.
FDAC called on the minister to work with the minister of public safety and law enforcement agencies to continue to strengthen Canada’s response to Beijing’s transnational repression.
The Epoch Times contacted Global Affairs Canada for comment but didn’t hear back by publication time. Previously, the department referred The Epoch Times to Public Safety Canada.
A spokesperson with Public Safety Canada told The Epoch Times in September that the government takes threats to the safety and security of Canadians seriously and is taking action to respond to foreign interference and transitional repression.
“The Office of the National Counter Foreign Interference Coordinator (ONCFIC) continues to provide leadership across government efforts while building societal resilience through ongoing engagement with domestic and international partners,” the spokesperson said.
The RCMP previously told The Epoch Times that it can’t publicly comment on potential or ongoing investigations but that it will investigate and take appropriate action if it determines foreign state-backed illegal activity is taking place.
“Generally, the RCMP is aware of foreign actor interference activity in Canada, from a number of countries. Various methods and techniques are in place to combat foreign actor interference within the RCMP’s mandate,” the federal police force told The Epoch Times.
