Toronto police say they arrested multiple people at Christie Pits Park where a large anti-immigration rally and counter demonstration took place Saturday afternoon.
Police said one man was arrested for assault at an ongoing demonstration in the Bloor Street West and Christie Street area at around 12:40 p.m. in a social media post.
Shortly after 1 p.m., police posted an update to X, stating more people had been arrested at a demonstration in the area.
Police said Bloor Street West was closed around Christie Street as rallies had moved into the street, though that street has since reopened. Police also said in a post that drivers should expect delays as demonstrators move toward Bloor Street West and Bay Street and Yonge Street and Wellesley Street.
Attendees gathered at the Toronto park Saturday afternoon for a demonstration dubbed the Canada First Patriot Rally. In an Instagram post, organizers said they were calling for a stop to “mass immigration.”
“This is the time for true Canadian patriots to stand together. Our country is changing fast and not for the better. If we don’t fight for what we have, we will lose it,” the post’s description reads.
Hundreds of other people also came to the park Saturday for a counter rally, aiming to show support for migrant communities.
“The park has a rich history of anti-fascist organizing. To this day, it’s an important gathering space for migrants, Indigenous people, queer and trans people, survivors of sexual violence, unhoused people, artists, students, and families,” says a statement from organizers posted on the Ontario Federation of Labour’s Facebook page.
TPS said it will release more information on the arrests at a later time in a news release.
