Toronto revokes park permit for Eritrean festival after violent protest
CTV
The City of Toronto has revoked the park permit for a weekend Eritrean festival after a protest turned violent, leaving nine people with physical injuries.
The City of Toronto has revoked the park permit for a weekend Eritrean festival after a protest turned violent, leaving nine people with physical injuries.
The protest started up shortly before 10 a.m. on Saturday at Earlscourt Park, near Caledonia Road and St. Clair Avenue West. According to festivalgoers, a large crowd of people started gathering in the area and were chanting.
Video on social media shows several demonstrators in light blue t-shirts knocking over fences and tearing down tents and flags.
Toronto police said that one person was seriously injured as a result of a stab wound, while eight other people sustained non-life threatening injuries. Paramedics assessed an unspecified number of others at the scene.
Investigators estimated that about 200 people attended the protest. Officers from across the city came to the park to assist in “gaining control” of the area.
In a statement provided Sunday, police said another group came to the park around 2 p.m. with weapons.
"More officers were deployed from across the city, including Public Order officers, to separate the combative groups and remained on scene until approximately 8:30 p.m. for everyone to disperse," officials said.
