BRAMPTON, Ont. — Police have made another arrest and are looking for two other suspects after tense and sometimes violent protests at a Toronto-area Hindu temple.
BRAMPTON, Ont. — Police have made another arrest and are looking for two other suspects after tense and sometimes violent protests at a Toronto-area Hindu temple.
Violence erupted Sunday at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton after a visit by Indian officials was met by protesters seeking a separate Sikh nation called Khalistan.
That protest spread to two other locations in Mississauga, Ont., and continued Monday, with hundreds of protesters from opposing sides gathering outside the Brampton temple before being dispersed by police.
Peel Regional Police say several crimes occurred during the demonstrations and many were caught on video, including one in which someone is seen using a loudspeaker to incite violence by calling on people to storm Sikh temples.
A 57-year-old Toronto man was arrested Wednesday and charged with public incitement to hatred, and will appear in a Brampton court at a later date.
Three people were previously arrested and a Peel police officer was suspended after Sunday’s events, with videos on social media showing what appeared to be fist fights and people hitting each other with poles on the temple grounds.
Police say arrest warrants have been issued for a 24-year-old from Kitchener, Ont., and a 22-year-old of no fixed address, who are wanted for threats to cause death or bodily harm, conspiracy to commit assault with a weapon and conspiracy to to commit mischief.
There was also unrest in British Columbia on Sunday when pro-Khalistan protesters gathered outside a temple in Surrey during a visit by Indian consular officials.
Surrey RCMP said three people were arrested after violence broke out.
In response to the recent events, the Indian Consulate in Toronto has said it is suspending some of its diplomatic visits to process paperwork at sites such as religious temples.
The violence has further heightened tensions between Canada and India after six Indian diplomats were expelled in October when the RCMP flagged them as persons of interest for alleged crimes against Canadians.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on November 7, 2024.
The Canadian Press
