Toronto police say 11 people have been arrested following a demonstration in the Harbourfront district on Saturday.
Police provided few details of the arrests except to say those in custody are facing charges that include assaulting a peace officer, obstructing police, mischief, and carrying a concealed weapon and prohibited device.
More than a thousand people gathered for the demonstration, which was organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement, which is calling on the Canadian government to act in defence of Palestinians, including initiating an immediate two-way arms embargo on Israel.
While police have yet to detail the incidents which led up to the charges, a spokesperson for the Legal Support Committee said they were not surprised by what they called “police aggression” against protesters.
“We anticipate the TPS will issue a press release filled with baseless accusations and misrepresentations, as they have done in the past,” said Dalia Awwad in a statement to CityNews.
“Let us be clear: there was no ‘reason’ for these arrests beyond the police’s desire to quell legitimate protest and silence voices calling for justice. Any claims of ‘safety concerns’ or ‘disruptive behavior’ are a cynical attempt to whitewash an act of state-sanctioned intimidation.”
Awwad noted that since October 2023, 133 Palestine solidarity protesters and organizers have been arrested, and half of those charged have had their charges withdrawn or received discharges.
The Legal Support Committee is a collective of community organizers who support arrestees criminalized for their organizing and protesting for the liberation of Palestine in the GTA