protest toronto

Toronto neighbourhood has had enough of anti-maskers

Toronto saw yet another weekend of anti-lockdown protests as stay-at-home orders remain in place.  

This weekend Toronto Police Services arrested five people at anti-masker protests at Yonge-Dundas Square and Queen's Park and laid six charges for failing to comply with the emergency orders. 

There were also reports of protests in other neighbourhoods around the city, notably Kensington Market.

The Toronto neighbourhood has had it with the anti-masker protests barrelling through their community harassing and assaulting residents. 

"Hate has no home here," read a post on Friends of Kensington Market group on Facebook.

"Friends of Kensington Market does not condone the anti-lockdown marches that have recently been passing through the neighbourhood. We will not tolerate public endangerment, racism, or harassment at any time, let alone when our community is already suffering."

The post goes on to suggest several ways to help stop the protest from taking over the narrow streets of Kensington Market. 

Many people shared their frustrations in the comment section. 

"They are also continually marching through the Church/Wellesley neighbourhood, becoming a regular obnoxious event," wrote Michelle Mawhinney.

"They had their march, they endangered people in the neighborhood and they've threatened to rush into stores against the wishes of storeowners putting them and their families at risk," added Anil Kurian in the comment section. 

Friends of Kensington Market is now calling for more equitable policing of the protests.

"Anti-lockdown protestors must be accountable to the same basic standards of public safety," they said in a post on Facebook. 

The Toronto Police Service said in their news release that they continue to respond to calls to attend large gatherings and will take steps to disperse them.

"Police will issue tickets and summonses to individuals when there is evidence of non-compliance of the provincial order under the EMCPA or the Reopening Ontario Act (ROA)," they added. 

Lead photo by

Hector Vasquez


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