Weapons seen at pro-India protest near Hindu temple in Brampton, Peel police say
Demonstration followed violent clashes in Brampton, Mississauga on Sunday
Peel police issued a public safety alert Monday evening, after they said some participants were wielding weapons at a demonstration near a Hindu temple in Brampton that saw violent clashes between protesters a day earlier.
Police also asked for the public's help on Tuesday to identify an individual who sprayed what they described as a "noxious substance," that resulted in one person suffering minor injuries during Monday's protest.
According to police, a large crowd of protesters initially gathered outside the temple, Hindu Sabha Mandir, one of the sites were violence erupted between opposing groups on Sunday.
Images from the demonstration show some participants waving or draping themselves in the Indian national flag.
The protesters began marching away from the Hindu temple and blocked traffic. Both Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown and Sikh advocacy groups said they tried to head for nearby gurdwaras — Sikh places of worship — but were redirected by police.
"Several hundred protesters from opposing sides raised tensions, and the event quickly escalated," police said in an update Tuesday afternoon.
"During the evening, demonstrators were observed to have wooden sticks which could be used as weapons and items were thrown at cars and towards people."
A public safety alert was issued and the protest was declared unlawful. Peel police's public order unit eventually dispersed the groups.
Speaking with reporters Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the violence seen in the past few days.
"The individuals who are seeking to ferment violence, division and shared in no way represent either the Sikh community or the Hindu community," he said.
In a statement, the World Sikh Organization of Canada said members of the local Sikh community had convened at local gurdwaras to "protect their congregations and buildings."
The events of Monday night began just hours after police announced three men were charged following violence at a series of demonstrations in Brampton and Mississauga on Sunday.
The first clash happened outside Hindu Sabha Mandir while Indian consular officials were visiting.
Videos captured outside the Hindu temple showed demonstrators holding banners in support of Khalistan, a proposed independent Sikh homeland in northern India, clashing with Hindu worshippers.
More fighting broke out later outside the Malton gurdwara.
Speaking to CBC Radio's Metro Morning, Brown said Monday's demonstration included some participants trying to "incite violence and hatred."
"But you know, what I've been saying is everyone needs to de-escalate. I know tensions are high right now, but the starting point is we don't need to have protests at places of worship," he said.
Brown said he was told by Peel police that demonstrators tried to make their way to local gurdwaras.
"There is the right to protest, but it doesn't need to be in the vicinity of a place of worship. Everyone has the right to go to their place of worship to pray, free of harassment, intimidation and violence. And that basic right has been broken in the last few days, unfortunately," he said, referencing the weekend's violence in Peel Region and recent clashes outside a Hindu temple in Surrey, B.C.
Brown has previously said he intends to introduce a motion at city council exploring the possibility of prohibiting demonstrations outside places of worship.
"I worry that this is going to become compounded if we don't clearly say that there is a line in the sand that cannot be crossed," he told host David Common.
Brown noted the City of Vaughan has a similar ordinance in place, and it has not yet been challenged on constitutional grounds.
"My hope is we're going to pass this bylaw. If someone wants to challenge it in the courts, they can. But I believe it is needed to protect a foundational value in our country, which is religious freedom," he said.
The recent conflicts in Peel and B.C. come among rising diplomatic tensions between Canada and India over allegations of violence against Canadian Sikhs. Ottawa has accused India's home minister of being behind several attacks on Sikh activists on Canadian soil. The Indian government denies the accusations.
Last month, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats over allegations they used their positions to collect information on Canadians in the pro-Khalistan independence movement and then passed the details on to criminal gangs who targeted the individuals directly.
India has long accused Canada of harbouring pro-Khalistan terrorists that New Delhi has asked Ottawa to extradite, though Canadian officials say those requests often lack adequate proof.
Fear from both pro-Khalistan and pro-India supporters over Canada's allegations and India's dismissal of them devolved into the violence seen recently, according to University of Victoria history professor Neilesh Bose.
"Many in the [Khalistani] movement are steadfast in their position that the Indian state has infiltrated the Khalistani populations or those who are sympathetic to Khalistan," he said.
With files from The Canadian Press