3 charged after protests outside Toronto-area synagogue marketing occupied West Bank land
CBC
Three people have been charged following hours-long protests Thursday outside a Thornhill, Ont., synagogue, police say.
The arrests are tied to three different incidents at the demonstration in the Clark Avenue W. and Bathurst Street area, York Regional Police said in a news release Friday.
Demonstrators said they gathered to protest a real estate event that marketed occupied land in the West Bank, and counter-protesters showed up in response to a call-out from leaders of the synagogue. Police would not confirm whether the accused were with the pro-Palestinian demonstrators or with the counter-protesters.
In the first incident, police say a man was found in the crowd carrying a knife. The 40-year-old Markham man has been charged with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
In the second, a 32-year-old man from Vaughan allegedly assaulted a female victim. He has since been charged with assault.
And in a third incident, a woman allegedly threatened to spray a man with coyote repellent, similar to pepper spray, amid an altercation. The 48-year-old from Vaughan has been charged with possession of a weapon dangerous to the public and assault with a weapon.
One woman who said she was kicked in the stomach during during Thursday's protest spoke out about her experience to CBC Toronto.
The 24-year-old woman said her role in the protest was as a marshal to keep her group safe if things escalated. CBC Toronto is not identifying the woman because she fears for her personal safety.
The woman was with ELDV4Palestine — a pro-Palestinian group that represents locals in the Eglinton-Lawrence and Don Valley neighbourhoods. When she saw a crowd forming, she said she rushed to put herself in the middle.
"When I was doing this, there was like a flag that was being used to hit people, or something to push people. So I grabbed it so I [could] push it away," she said.
"It happened really fast ... I just got kicked in the stomach by a guy."
The victim said police haven't confirmed with her if the charges stem from her assault. While news of an arrest provides some level of comfort, she said she's still dealing with pain from her injuries.
Still, she said she won't let it stop her from partaking in future protests, and doesn't want to see anyone who committed violence to "get away with it."
"I'm going to keep showing up and I'm going to stay on the front line."
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