Toronto police make arrests during weekend protest, draw criticism from demonstrators

Pro-Palestinian groups allege Toronto Police officers are enforcing rules selectively at organized protests after seven people were arrested during a demonstration on Saturday.

Pro-Palestinian groups allege Toronto Police officers are enforcing rules selectively at organized protests after seven people were arrested and at least three charged during a demonstration on Saturday.

The Toronto Police Service issued a statement saying its officers were conducting crowd management at a demonstration in the Gerrard Street and Parliament Street area when they arrested and charged multiple people.

A man who was allegedly observed during the protest driving a truck with people in the bed of the vehicle has been charged with stunt driving and has had his license suspended for 30 days.

Police allege that while officers were seizing the man’s truck, the crowd became “aggressive and assaultive” and a 24-year-old woman threw horse manure at officers.

Investigators say she was later charged with assault, along with a 27-year-old woman who police allege used a flagpole to spear at an officer.

Police say they also arrested four males at the demonstration but later released three of them without conditions. One of them was wanted after the demonstration on an unrelated matter and has since been turned over to provincial police.

Police did not give details on why the males were arrested and then released, but noted in their statement that releasing someone does not mean they cannot be charged at a later date and their investigation is still active.

A news release issued by demonstrators alleges police followed the protest for three hours before hundreds of officers with riot gear and on horses arrived on Saturday and barricaded their movement, immediately escalating their “brutality against pro-Palestinian demonstrators.”