The sound of honking trucks echoed through the streets of downtown Toronto Saturday as a large crowd of protesters descended upon the city to demand the end of COVID-19 restrictions.
The protest, organized by the "Freedom Convoy," started at noon at Queen’s Park, with protesters carrying signs and flags and chanting against COVID-19 vaccine mandates, including proof of vaccination in certain indoor settings.
Shortly before 2:30 p.m., police said a 22-year-old male protester was arrested at the north side of Queen’s Park.
The man was arrested for assault with a weapon, administering a noxious substance (smoke bomb), and public mischief, police said.
No other arrests have been reported.
The protest later moved north at the intersection of Bloor Street West and Avenue Road, where a large volume of trucks and demonstrators blocked the road.
The blockade slowed down Peel paramedics, police said, warning protesters to let emergency vehicles through.
"This is unacceptable and will not be tolerated," police tweeted. There are also two fire stations in that area as well and police said they were concerned that the fire trucks may not be able to leave when needed.
A number of smoke bombs were reportedly set at that intersection later in the afternoon but there was no immediate word on whether someone was arrested.
In an update Saturday afternoon, Toronto police Staff Supt. Lauren Poge said the protest has largely been "peaceful."
"We still do have a very large Toronto police presence in the core and this is to ensure public safety, that our community has unimpeded emergency vehicle access, and also to minimize disruption to the residents and businesses in the area," Poge told CP24.
"Our plans are fluid. We’re dynamic. I can tell you that we’re there to ensure that everyone remains safe and that and that includes our police officers who are on the ground."
Widespread traffic delays in the downtown area were also reported Saturday as a result of the protest and the number of road closures.
It is not known when roads will reopen.
"We’re assessing things as we go and we’ll certainly look to open up things when it’s safe to do so," Poge said.
She added that there have been no issues reported at Hospital Row. Hospital workers, patienxjmtzywts and others trying to access the facilities have been able to do so.
Ahead of the protest, the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) released a statement saying they do not support and disapprove protests on public roadways, highways and bridges.
OTA said the majority of Ontario truckers are vaccinated.
"While some Canadians are at Queen’s Park today to voice their displeasure over this mandate, it appears that most protestors have no connection to the trucking industry and have separate grievances beyond the cross-border vaccine requirements," OTA said.
"As these protests unfold, OTA asks the public to be aware that many of the people you see and hear in media reports do not have a connection to the trucking industry and do not represent the view of the Ontario Trucking Association or its members."
City officials and police learned about the planned protest earlier this week, prompting them to prepare for similar disruptions brought on from the ongoing protest in Ottawa.
On Friday, some vehicles and tractors arrived in front of the Royal Ontario Museum on Avenue Road, just north of Queen’s Park.
In anticipation of the large protest, on Friday police started to close roads in the downtown core and have advised residents to expect a large police presence in the area this weekend.
“The service is required to facilitate peaceful demonstrations,” Police Chief James Ramer told reporters at a briefing Friday. “This will be balanced by our priority to ensure public safety to protect hospitals and infrastructure and the city’s emergency response needs.”
Ramer said that large vehicles will not be allowed to congregate around Queen’s Park and that the demonstrators will be encouraged to go to staging areas and then travel to Queen’s Park by foot if they want to protest there.
He added that anyone who tries to block access to nearby hospitals will be “subject to strict enforcement.”
Some hospital staff were advised on Thursday to avoid wearing any scrubs or clothing identifying them as health-care workers when they come into work this weekend to avoid being blocked or harassed.
Women’s College Hospital rescheduled some appointments and closed its COVID-19 assessment Centre early on Friday and altogether over the weekend “out of an abundance of caution.”
HEALTH-CARE WORKERS STAGE COUNTER PROTEST
In response to the demonstration, a group of health-care workers is planning a counter protest downtown to ensure protesters do not interfere with anyone trying to receive health-care services.
"The goal is to let Torontonians know that we want to ensure that they will have unfettered access to hospitals in downtown, to community-based clinics in downtown, and to let our colleagues who are working in the hospitals today know that they should feel safe and secure walking the streets dressed however they want to, in their white coats," Dr. Philip Berger, organizer of the Access to Care rally, told CP24.
City Councillor Joe Cressy also attended the health-care workers’ protest to show his support.
"While there are people protesting with a different message, the vast vast majority of Torontonians have done the right thing and continue to do the right thing and these health-care workers help make it happen," Cressy told CP24.
Mayor John Tory urged anyone who does not plan to protest peacefully to “stay home.”
“If anyone is planning to come here for a protest that is not peaceful, and that is not respectful, I would urge you on behalf of all Toronto residents and businesses to please stay home. Peaceful and respectful is the way we do things here,” Tory said at a city press briefing on Friday.
Last weekend, thousands of protesters and truckers, many of whom drove from the west coast, gathered in the nation’s capital to rally against COVID-19 mandates.
The demonstration, which some have described as an “occupation,” is now in its ninth day, resulting in ongoing traffic gridlock and honking vehicles.
Ottawa police reported significant disruptions due to the convoy, including vandalism, harassment, expressions of hate and violence and ongoing obstruction of many services.
On Thursday evening, federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said the RCMP approved Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson’s request for the RCMP to support city police in monitoring the protest.
Local protests have also broke out in southern Alberta, Quebec City and Winnipeg.
RELATED IMAGESview larger image
Police cruisers block University Avenue between Bloor Street and Queen’s Park during a demonstration in support of a trucker convoy in Ottawa protesting COVID-19 restrictions, in Toronto, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022. (THE CANADIAN PRESS / Nathan Denette)
