10 arrested, 7 facing charges for Toronto anti-lockdown protests

Toronto police say they have arrested 10 people flouting provincial orders at anti-lockdown protests in the downtown core Saturday.

In a news release late Saturday evening, police say they monitored and attended “several large gatherings” at Nathan Phillips Square, Yonge-Dundas Square and Queen’s Park.

Among the 10 people charged, seven protesters are facing criminal charges. Of those, five are facing charges for obstructing a police officer, two for common nuisance, one for assaulting a police officer and one for four counts of public mischief.

All 10 protesters were arrested at Yonge-Dundas Square.

Police say nine charges were also laid against attendees at the gatherings for failing to comply with the province’s emergency orders, and three charges were laid under the Highway Traffic Act.

This comes exactly one week after Toronto police arrested three people and issued 18 charges for failure to comply with the provincial stay-at-home order currently in effect for protesters in large gatherings that were flouting the order.

“[We] continue to respond to calls to attend large gatherings and will take steps to disperse. Police will issue tickets and summonses to individuals when there is evidence of non-compliance of the provincial order under the EMCPA or the Reopening Ontario Act (ROA),” police said in a news release.