Defund the police rallies held in Toronto, across Canada

Several rallies were held today in Toronto and across Canada, calling for the defunding of police.

The first rally in Toronto, organized by the Coalition for BIPOC Liberation and Not Another Black Life, was attended by hundreds of people clad in masks in Downsview Park.

Demonstrators occupied Sheppard Avenue West at Keele Street before marching peacefully up Keele towards York University.

Police were on the scene to facilitate road closures in the area.

Another rally happened at Christie Pits at 4 p.m. where demonstrators walked towards Toronto Police Headquarters.

Protesters were greeted by cheers from those sitting in restaurants and watching from their windows, though a few people shouted profanities at demonstrators.

The organization says the protest is part of the movement to defund the police and reinvest those funds in the community.

“We demand our basic human right to live peacefully with the equitable opportunity to live our best lives, take care of our families and support our communities.” read a press release from the Coalition.

They are asking cities to reduce their police budgets by 50 per cent.

They said the diverted funds could be used to invest in alternatives to policing such as better mental health treatment, civilian conflict resolution services, and trauma-based emergency services.

Protesters in Montreal toppled and defaced a statue of John A. Macdonald during a rally there.

A spokesman for the Montreal police confirmed the statue of Canada’s first prime minister was unbolted, pulled down and sprayed with graffiti at around 2:45 p.m. The statue’s head was disconnected from its body during the incident.

The incident came at the end of a peaceful protest in which police estimate some 200 people marched to call for police defunding.

Images from the event show a crowd of protesters marching in the rain under umbrellas and carrying signs bearing slogans such as “We demand change.”

Other demonstrations will be taking place in London, Fredericton, Moncton, Calgary and Halifax, according to the release.

The rally comes just days after the SIU found there were no reasonable grounds to charge any of the officers present when 29-year-old Regis Korchinksi-Paquet fell to her death from a 24-storey balcony in High Park.

Not Another Black Life held a demonstration days after her death that was attended by thousands of people in Toronto.