Toronto police expecting several major protests leading up to Christmas

Toronto police are anticipating another round of demonstrations in the downtown core this weekend and are reminding people to remain respectful on the heels of recent protests in the city that became heated.

Deputy Police Chief Lauren Pogue, in an update from Toronto police headquarters on Friday, says all residents have a right to protest but there are certain actions that officers will not be tolerating.

“We respect people’s charter rights and we are always present to facilitate demonstrations that are lawful,” says Pogue. “Lawful demonstrations do not include protesting in privately owned spaces, blocking critical infrastructure, or causing disturbances at the expense of other residents.”

“It certainly does not include intimidation, harassment, or hateful behaviour.”

Pogue says police are aware of several major demonstrations planned for this weekend and if protesters refuse to leave private property when asked, they could be arrested.

“Please listen to police direction and be respectful of each other and our officers while they keep everyone safe,” she says.

Officers have attended around 250 protests in the city since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, with Pogue saying the majority of the events have been peaceful but noting officers have encountered small groups of protesters displaying increasingly antagonistic behaviour.

Friday’s update comes after a recent pro-Palestinian protest at the Eaton Centre that resulted in a heated exchange between two people in the middle of the busy mall. About 150 demonstrators entered the shopping centre around 5 p.m on Dec. 17.

An investigation has been launched into the exchange between a demonstrator and another person that was caught on video in front of fashion retailer Zara. Several Toronto police officers can be seen in the video, standing nearby.

Earlier this week, Toronto police reported a staggering rise in hate crime statistics since the start of the latest Israel-Hamas war, with the numbers suggesting Jewish and Muslim communities continue to be targeted.

Since Oct. 7, officers have investigated nearly 100 hate crimes – 56 targeted the Jewish community and 20 of those incidents were categorized as anti-Muslim.

With files from Shauna Hunt