Toronto Mayor John Tory said he supports police “doing everything they can” to protect residents and minimize the impact of planned protests against vaccine mandates set to take place in the city this weekend.
“I want to be absolutely clear,” Tory said on Thursday morning ahead of a city council meeting. “I support Toronto police taking necessary action to prepare for this possible protest with a focus on doing everything they can to protect the safety of xjmtzywToronto residents and businesses and to minimize any disruptions to those Toronto residents and businesses to the greatest extent possible.”
Tory’s remarks come as Ottawa approaches a second weekend of truck horns blaring through the streets of the capital’s downtown core. For days, demonstrators have gathered to oppose a cross-border vaccine mandate and other public health restrictions.
Since Saturday, crowds have dwindled from thousands to hundreds, but police said the situation is still “intolerable” on Wednesday.
The demonstration came under fire after some members were seen holding signs and flags with hateful symbols. Ottawa police have also laid some charges and issued tickets related to the protests.
Earlier in the week, officials confirmed they were investigating incidents of threatening behaviour as well as the desecration of monuments.
Toronto’s mayor said his position is clear – everything must be done to avoid the situation Ottawa currently faces with a gridlocked downtown and residents describing the city as “living hell.’’
Tory said he met with City Manager Chris Murray, Chief Matthew Pegg and and Police Chief James Ramer this morning ahead of the planned weekend protest.
Tory warned that protesters at Queen’s Park cannot block off access to the nearby row of hospitals. He said people seeking emergency care, along with front-line workers, need to be able to safely access their workplaces. “That is a must,” he said.
“Hate and interference with hospitals will not be tolerated,” city councillor Joe Cressy said in a social media post on Thursday, echoing the mayor’s sentiment.
Tory said a public update is planned to take place Friday on what the protests could mean for residents and businesses as the city marks its first weekend since the latest round of relaxed pandemic restrictions.
“The notion that any protests would keep these businesses, which have been hard hit by the pandemic, from being open or drive customers away is also unacceptable,” Tory said.
Toronto Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson said “great thought and consideration” is going into the city’s planning for this weekend while on NEWSTALK 1010’s Moore in the Morning on Thursday.
At this point in time, Thompson said he could not reveal details regarding current discussions, but he said it appears that political leadership in Ottawa has left the ongoing protests to the police chief to handle.
Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie addressed the potential demonstrations set for Toronto at a news conference on Thursday. “We’re all frustrated,” Crombie said.
“Everyone is entitled to their opinion and the right to free speech. But when people start sharing messages that encourage violence, waving symbols of hate, desecrating sacred war monuments, vandalizing the statue of hero Terry Fox, that’s where I draw the line,” she said.
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Toronto Mayor John Tory speaks during a press conference to update media on a tentative deal reached between the City of Toronto and the city’s outside workers, in Toronto, Saturday, Feb 29, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston
