July 19, 2020
Toronto
Three peaceful protesters that were illegally detained yesterday by Toronto Police, and subsequently held without charge or legal counsel, have been released.
The arrests came after a peaceful, public protest early Saturday, which saw no harm to anyone, except a statue which the black community views as a symbol of hatred.
Timeline
At 12:03 PM Saturday, Black Lives Matter issued a call to action, stating their supporters were kidnapped, held against their will, transferred to an unknown location, and denied access to legal counsel.
This set off a flurry across Toronto and the rest of Canada, with the hashtag #FreeThemNow eventually trending on Twitter.
Shortly after, 52 Division, where the victims were allegedly transferred, was flooded with phone traffic and had to disconnect its phone lines.
At 6:22 PM, protesters became worried about the health of one of the hostages, after police initially denied her her medication.
A crowd grew in front of 52 Division and continued to swell into the evening, as the protesters demanded the release of the hostages.
After holding their ground into the evening, the police snapped under pressure, and finally agreed to release the activists.
Petition
Toronto Today’s petition received 306 signatures in the last 12 hours. In light of the release of the protests, the petition will be declared a victory, as the demands were met.
Press Conference
Black Lives Matter will be holding a press conference at 55 Gould Street, near Ryerson University downtown. Black Lives Matters Toronto is asking for people to come and show support. Toronto Today will be covering this as well.
Article by: Mark Slapinski