A solidarity protest at Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton, Ont, was declared unlawful Monday night after several vehicles were vandalized, protesters clashed with police and weapons were “observed.”
Crowds gathered at the temple showing solidarity with the Hindu community following a Khalistani protest against the Indian consular’s presence at the temple on Sunday. The protest gained national attention when Khalistani protesters were recorded hitting worshipers with flag sticks on the temple grounds.
A spokesperson for the Peel Regional Police told True North that several hundred protesters from opposing sides raised tensions caused by the Sunday demonstration, and “events escalated quickly.”
“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,” the PRP said in an email. “The protest was declared unlawful, and our Public Order Unit was deployed, which led to the eventual dispersal of both groups.”
Videos showed Sikh men roaming the streets of Brampton with swords.
Another showed dozens of riot police rushing to one of the sites where protesters gathered after being declared unlawful.
According to reports from Mocha Bezirgan, who’s been covering the Indian diaspora upheaval in Canada for a year, men with iron rods were also spotted. Bezirgan also shared footage of men from the pro-Indian government side attacking vehicles that were passing through the street protest with flag poles and fists.
Police said they arrested three individuals Sunday night at Khalistani protest but no arrests from Monday’s events.
Police vowed to remain visible at the protests and continue monitoring and responding to unlawful activities. Police want protesters to know that any acts of violence, threats, or vandalism will be investigated.
“Our duty and responsibility remain to maintain public order and ensure the safety of everyone,” the PRP said. “We will continue to uphold the rules of law and enforce the criminal code objectively.”
Another video captured by True North’s Harrison Faulkner shows a pro-Indian government man swearing at police. Others showed a man taunting police to shoot the crowd he was a part of.
In an interview with Faulkner, one protester called for the arrest of everyone involved in the protest at the temple, and said protesters were blocking the road to awaken the Canadian government and public to the injustice.
Protesters wielding Indian flags and orange Hindu flags were also recorded clashing with police.
Another showed Hindu nationalist Ron Banerjee, a frequenter of protests around Toronto, calling for the Indian government to invade Canada and raid Sikh temples.
“The Indian army must come to Canada and must storm the Sikh temples,” he said, met with cheers from the crowd. “They have no right to have those temples. They promote hate, and they promote terrorism.”
Banjeera has been the subject of hate crime investigations by TPS and was featured in a YouTube video where he said, “I support the killing of Sikhs and Muslims in the Republic of India because they deserve to die.”
Justin Trudeau generally condemned incitements of violence during Question Period on Tuesday. Many Canadian politicians condemned the violence at the Hindu Sabha temple on Sunday, but there has been a noticeable absence of condemnation for Monday’s night of rage online.
People’s Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier, however, said that both sides are inciting violence in Canada.
“We don’t want any of your tribal conflicts in our Country,” he said in response to Monday’s protests. “Go back to India if you don’t want to live peacefully and integrate into our society.”
