Ten arrested at ‘Canada First’ protest as demonstrators clash in Toronto

Multiple people have been arrested at a pro- and anti-immigration demonstration in Toronto as the opposing groups faced off at a park.

Ten people were arrested during an anti-immigration demonstration after clashes with counter-demonstrators in Toronto on Saturday evening, police said.

Police said in a post on X that one man was arrested for assault at the protest. Nine others were also arrested, but police have not disclosed the nature of the charges.

Around noon, protesters with the “Canada First Rally” gathered at Christie Pits Park to “Stop mass immigration. Start mass deportations. Remigration is necessary,” according to a social media poster for the event by the rally’s organizers.

However, hundreds of pro-immigration demonstrators also gathered at the location to oppose the anti-immigration protest, chanting, “You will never get your way. Immigrants are here to stay.”

The two groups clashed a short time later, when some anti-immigration protesters reached the park and encountered a larger group of counter-demonstrators.

Meanwhile, Ward 11 Coun. Dianne Saxe called the initial protest a “hate demonstration” in a social media post last month.

“This rally does not represent what we stand for as a city or as Canadians,” Saxe said in her statement.

“I am also appalled at the absurdity of these individuals choosing Christie Pits Park, with its history of standing against hate.”

She added that the counter-demonstrations show that the “spirit of opposition to nativism, jingoism and racism remains a vibrant part of our ward.”

Saxe was among the pro-immigration demonstrators at the protest, according to another social media post.

“This is our home, and in Toronto, this is how we stand up to those wishing to spread division and hate,” she said.

Toronto police said they were aware of the protest and counter-protests taking place at the park in a statement posted around noon.

Protesters were seen carrying Canadian flags and marching from Christie Pits through Bloor St. W., continuing through the city’s west end into downtown. Officers lined the route to block portions of the road.

Most counter-demonstrators, however, remained at the park, with only a handful following the protesting group.

The demonstration followed a protest in London, U.K., organized by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, which gathered more than 110,000 people on Saturday.

Police said they intend to provide additional details on the arrests in a forthcoming news release.

With files from the Canadian Press