Caryma Sa'd

Caryma Sa'd
Born1989 or 1990 (age 36–37)[1]
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
EducationUniversity of Ottawa
OccupationLawyer
Known forLandlord and tenant legal work, cannabis law, documenting protests

Caryma Fayez Sa'd[2] (born 1989/1990) is a Canadian lawyer and social media personality known for documenting political demonstrations and protests.[3] She became prominent for her coverage of anti-COVID-19-lockdown protests and later the Canada convoy protest.[1][4] In 2026, she became a candidate for Ward 14 Toronto—Danforth in the 2026 Toronto municipal election.[3]

Early life and education

Sa'd was born to an Indian mother and a Palestinian father, and grew up in Mississauga, Ontario.[1] She studied law at the University of Ottawa.[5]

After articling in a Bay Street law firm, and working for Lenczner Slaght Royce Smith Griffin LLP, Sa'd launched her own practice that specializes in criminal, housing, and cannabis law in 2017.[1][6][7][8] She serves on the advisory board of Legal Line,[9][1] and in 2019 ran unsuccessfully to be a bencher at the Law Society of Ontario, finishing in 28th place with 15.8% of the vote.[10][11][12][13] She ran again in 2023 and came in 38th place with 8.6% of the vote.[14]

In 2019, Sa'd represented tenants displaced by a fatal fire from 235 Gosford Boulevard apartment block in Toronto. She organized an open letter to Toronto Mayor John Tory, requesting him to block reoccupation of the building until air quality issues were addressed.[15][16]

In 2021, Sa'd represented tenants who rented illegal apartments from Toronto landlord Brad J. Lamb, pushing for financial compensation for those evicted,[17][18] and persuaded a judge to give more time to two tenants whose rent was delayed due to hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[19]

In 2023, Sa'd was herself the subject of an order evicting her from her residential premises in Toronto after she failed to appear at her own hearing before the Landlord and Tenant Board.[20]

Activism and protest coverage

Cannabis activism

In 2019, Sa'd described Ontario's lottery system of providing retail cannabis licences as "unfair" because it excluded potential licensees based on luck, not experience or relevant skills.[21] In 2021, she campaigned for the rights of small cannabis businesses, and criticized Facebook and Instagram for blocking their posts despite the legality of selling cannabis in Canada.[22]

Sa'd co-founded 420 Cannabis Court, a pop-up outdoor cannabis-friendly lounge that existed during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns and hosted live comedy acts.[23] It was held in the Anti-Displacement Garden of the Chinatown Centre, which caused conflict with neighbouring businesses and the not-for-profit arts collective Tea Base, which had created the garden for community use.[24] From March 2020 to October 2021 she was the executive director of the Canadian branch of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).[1][25][26][27]

Protest coverage

Throughout 2021, Sa'd documented and published footage of anti-vaccination and COVID-19 anti-lockdown protests in Toronto.[28] In July 2021, she invited anti-lockdown activist Chris Sky to appear before an audience at her venue in Toronto's Chinatown for a live interview.[29] A community group, Friends of Chinatown, and other tenants in the mall urged her to cancel the event because of concerns about community safety.[30] Sa'd declined to cancel it, but the event was ultimately called off after opponents of Sky gathered at the site and police were called following scuffles.[31]

In 2022, Sa'd spent several weeks in Ottawa documenting the Canada convoy protest and subsequently live-tweeted the bail hearings of organizers Pat King and Tamara Lich.[4]

Sa'd has worked with videographer Adam Lee Wasserman in documenting demonstrations and other political events.[32][33] In January 2025, Wasserman was allegedly spat upon while filming at Yonge and Dundas streets; an assault charge arising from the incident was later withdrawn by the Crown.[32]

Wasserman was arrested while covering the 2025 Walk with Israel and was charged with criminal harassment and assault. Following a five-day trial in the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton, he was acquitted of both charges on July 30, 2026.[33]

By 2026, the Toronto Star described Sa'd as a regular presence at Toronto protests. The newspaper reported criticism that her approach to filming demonstrators could be provocative and that clips posted online sometimes presented emotional encounters without sufficient context.[3] Movement Media Hub, a public-relations organization that has worked with activist groups including No Pride in Policing and Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, told the Star that Sa'd and Wasserman created an "atmosphere of fear" among some protest participants who were concerned about receiving online attention or harassment.[3] Sa'd rejected claims that her presence constituted provocation, saying that merely attending demonstrations with a camera was not instigation.[3]

Sa'd has also been criticized for interviewing or interacting with political extremists, racists and conspiracy theorists, including by the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, which has argued that doing so can amplify their messages.[3] Sa'd has defended her willingness to engage with people across the political spectrum and said in 2026 that the ability to "speak with anybody" would be an important quality for a city councillor.[3]

Canadian Anti-Hate Network

The Canadian Anti-Hate Network criticized Sa'd's planned 2021 interview with anti-lockdown activist Chris Sky, describing Sky as a racist and Holocaust denier and saying that anti-racist and anti-fascist protesters had asked Sa'd to reconsider hosting him.[34]

In 2023, Sa'd filed a Federal Court action against Morgan Yew, the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, and John or Jane Doe. The statement of claim alleged false or misleading remarks and sought declarations, damages and injunctions under the Trademarks Act and Competition Act.[35] On September 25, 2023, Justice Richard Southcott of the Federal Court of Canada struck the statement of claim without leave to amend, finding that it disclosed no reasonable cause of action. The court ordered Sa'd to pay $850 in costs to the defendants.[36]

Sa'd later became the subject of a complaint to the Law Society of Ontario concerning her conduct toward Bernie Farber, chair emeritus of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network. According to a 2024 complaint-closure letter, a Law Society investigator concluded that Sa'd had failed to act with honour and integrity and had engaged in harassing and/or discriminatory conduct and conduct tending to bring discredit upon the legal profession.[3][37] The Law Society closed the matter without referring it for disciplinary proceedings, stating that the available regulatory responses were limited and that Sa'd had been advised of the findings.[37]

In June 2026, Sa'd approached Farber while he was entering his car and asked whether he would "denounce antifa" and whether he was proud of his legacy. Asked about the incident by the Toronto Star, Sa'd rejected the characterization of her conduct as harassment.[3]

In November 2024, the Canadian Anti-Hate Network published a statement saying that it had asked Sa'd to stop interacting with members of the organization and published a letter from its lawyer concerning her conduct toward CAHN members and affiliates.[38]

Other controversies

Sa'd was arrested for trespassing by police on May 26, 2022, while attempting to enter a campaign rally for Doug Ford at John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport.[39] Sa'd said police had inaccurately characterized her as a protester attempting to block access to the rally.[39] The charge was withdrawn in November 2022 after prosecutors concluded there was no reasonable prospect of conviction.[40]

In December 2023, Sa'd posted video of several employees of a downtown Toronto Moxies restaurant cheering an anti-war, pro-Palestinian march during the Gaza war. CBC News reported that the employees were later fired, and included the incident in a broader report about people in Canada facing employment or school consequences after expressing pro-Palestinian views.[41] Sa'd defended posting the video, while critics argued that publicizing workers' identities contributed to consequences for people expressing political views.[42]

2026 Toronto municipal election

On August 21, 2026, Sa'd registered as a candidate for Ward 14 Toronto—Danforth in the 2026 Toronto municipal election.[3] The ward became an open race after incumbent councillor Paula Fletcher announced that she would not seek re-election.[3]

Sa'd told the Toronto Star that she was running in part because she believed activism had too much influence over decisions at Toronto City Hall. She criticized what she characterized as excessive municipal spending on homelessness and the normalization of public disorder, particularly surrounding demonstrations.[3] She said that she did not claim to have all the solutions and wanted to work with different stakeholders to address gaps in existing city policy.[3]

The Toronto—Danforth contest also attracted several candidates with previous political experience, including councillor Dianne Saxe, Toronto District School Board trustee Sara Ehrhardt, and former city councillor Mary Fragedakis.[3] Sa'd, a "pro-wrestling aficianado"[43] described the crowded contest as a "royal rumble".[3]

Family life

Sa'd's father died of COVID-19 in March 2021.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Leck, Sebastian (March 30, 2021). "How this young lawyer works to tackle Toronto's eviction crisis". Canada's National Observer. Archived from the original on March 30, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  2. ↑ "2020 ONSC 170 (CanLii) Hall Q v. Biason CanLii". CanLII. January 10, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Cohen, Ben (August 21, 2026). "Lawyer and social media influencer Caryma Sa'd enters Toronto-Danforth city council race". Toronto Star. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 Olinjyk, Zena (February 22, 2022). "How Caryma Sa'd has been a 'fly on the wall' at the Ottawa blockade". Canadian Lawyer. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  5. ↑ Gibson, Victoria (July 25, 2017). "Lawyer seeks out accused in hostage-taking". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  6. ↑ Macnab, Aiden (November 19, 2020). "Legal clinics across Ontario decry access-to-justice barriers at Landlord and Tenant Board Hearings". Law Times News. Archived from the original on November 19, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  7. ↑ Cain, Patrick (March 10, 2021). "Fewer than 400 people pardoned under new system for erasing old weed convictions". CTV News. Archived from the original on March 10, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  8. ↑ Laidlaw, Katherine (September 4, 2019). "These lawyers fight for the disenfranchised and still manage to pay the rent". Precedent. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Board of Advisors".
  10. ↑ Carruthers, Dale (April 16, 2019). "Law society bencher candidates include cannabis specialist". London Free Press. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  11. ↑ Amanda, Joerome (February 25, 2019). "Diversity needed some bencher candidates say, as debate over statement of principles continues". The Lawyers Daily. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Canadian Hispanic Bar Association | The CHBA endorses Caryma Sa'd for Bencher!". Canadian Hispanic Bar Association. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  13. ↑ ELECTED BENCHERS MEMBRES DU CONSEIL ÉLUS
  14. ↑ "2023 Elected benchers" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 1, 2023.
  15. ↑ Sasitharan, Kirthana (December 28, 2019). "These Gosford fire residents aren't satisfied with air quality, safety measures of building". CBC.
  16. ↑ "Tenants demand answers from landlord in wake of fatal North York fire". CBC. December 7, 2019.
  17. ↑ McKeen, Alex (March 15, 2021). "'I never want to displace anyone.' Landlord offers reimbursement for tenants evacuated from illegal apartments". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  18. ↑ Salem, Zena (March 29, 2021). "Landlord, former tenants reach agreement to cover costs after sudden evacuation of illegal Bloor West". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  19. ↑ Gibson, Victoria (April 7, 2021). "Landlord should have negotiated with tenants' union in rent repayment deal, says Ontario Landlord and Tenant". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  20. ↑ "2023 ONLTB 71873 (CanLII) | Peng v Sa'd | CanLII". www.canlii.org. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  21. ↑ Somos, Christy (July 29, 2019). "Illegal dispensaries stay open because Ontario's lottery system 'unfair': cannabis lawyer". CTVNews. Archived from the original on July 29, 2019. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  22. ↑ Evans, Pete (February 3, 2021). "Canadian cannabis stocks pop on U.S. legalization push and GameStop-style short squeeze". CBC.
  23. ↑ "Toronto is getting a socially distant weed-friendly lounge: 420 Cannabis Court". Calgary Herald. June 20, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Tea Base and 420 Cannabis Court fight over the Anti-Displacement Garden". On the Record.
  25. ↑ Gamage, Michelle (March 31, 2020). "NORML Canada's new executive director Caryma Sa'd explains how legalization went wrong: Q&A". Mugglehead Magazine. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  26. ↑ Siebert, Amanda (March 25, 2020). "NORML Canada finds a new director in Caryma Sa'd". Inside the Jar. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  27. ↑ "Kingston woman named head of cannabis advocacy group NORML". Global News. October 26, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  28. ↑ Gerster, Jane; Ross, Greg (August 31, 2021). "Ontario NDP pushes for safety zones as anti-vaccine protests continue to plague restaurants". CBC News.
  29. ↑ "Toronto lawyer Caryma Sa'd to take on anti-lockdown celeb Chris Sky in online interview". NOW Magazine. July 7, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  30. ↑ "Neighbours urge lawyer Caryma Sa'd to cancel anti-masker debate". NOW Magazine. July 9, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  31. ↑ DiMatteo, Enzo (July 21, 2021). "Caryma Sa'd makes no apologies". NOW Magazine. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  32. 1 2 "More Actions and Lessons Learned". Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation. February 13, 2026. Retrieved August 22, 2026.
  33. 1 2 "Our Enemies are Bold, Our Friends Bolder". Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation. July 31, 2026. Retrieved August 22, 2026.
  34. ↑ "Plan to "Interview" Racist Anti-Lockdown Influencer Ends in Violence". Canadian Anti-Hate Network. July 13, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  35. ↑ "Statement of Claim, Sa'd v. Yew et al., T-1452-23" (PDF). Canuck Law. July 12, 2023. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Order and Reasons, Sa'd v. Yew et al., T-1452-23" (PDF). Canadian Anti-Hate Network. September 25, 2023. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  37. 1 2 "Caryma Fayez Sa'd" (PDF). Canadian Anti-Hate Network. March 20, 2024. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  38. ↑ "Statement on Caryma Sa'd". Canadian Anti-Hate Network. November 28, 2024. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  39. 1 2 Oromoni, Annabel (May 29, 2022). "Lawyer Caryma Sa'd arrested and charged for allegedly trespassing at Premier Doug Ford's rally". Law Times. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  40. ↑ Hristova, Bobby (November 8, 2022). "Trespassing charge against Toronto lawyer arrested at Ford rally withdrawn in Hamilton". CBC News. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  41. ↑ Basu, Brishti (December 22, 2023). "'Chilling effect': People expressing pro-Palestinian views censured, suspended from work and school". CBC News. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  42. ↑ Scott, Katie (November 4, 2023). "'I will never return to Moxies': Restaurant chain criticized for firing employees after pro-Palestine march". Yahoo News Canada. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  43. ↑ DiMatteo, Enzo (June 11, 2020). "Toronto Trailblazers 2020: Caryma Sa'd is reinventing how to break down barriers in the justice system - NOW Magazine". NOW Toronto. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
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