Protesters arrested after officer assaulted at pro-Palestine demonstration; Brampton man charged

Four people including a man from Brampton were arrested following a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Toronto where police say an officer was assaulted.

The protest happened on Saturday near University Avenue and Armoury Street in Toronto with demonstrators calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and an end to Canada and the U.S.’s support of Israel, according to posts on social media.

During the demonstration, protesters carried a large flag and at one point police say an activist went under the flag and began painting on the road, Toronto Police said.

Police moved in to arrest the suspect, but that’s when several other demonstrators tried to stop officers from taking the individual into custody.

One of the suspects also assaulted an officer during the takedown, police said.

Four people were arrested and charged including a man from Brampton.

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Alisa Gayle, 52, and Elif Sirin, 28, both of Toronto, Brandon Sharp, 35, of Niagara, and Humza Towfeq, 31, of Brampton, have all been charged in relation to the incident, police said.

The accused are all scheduled to make a court appearance in Toronto on July 19.

A similar protest in January saw a Mississauga man charged with one count of obstruct peace officer.

Protests around the Israel-Hamas conflict have led Toronto police to ban demonstrations on the Highway 401 overpass near Avenue Road, saying the demonstrations were raising “very serious concern for community safety.”

The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 36,730 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count.

Israel’s invasion of Gaza was launched following a surprise attack by Hamas in October when militants stormed into southern Israel and killed some 1,200 people and abducted approximately 250 others.

– With files from The Canadian Press