Organizers say these arrests are another example of police overreach and that they are being used as justification for ongoing repression. Toronto police call the arrests “lawful, justified, and reasonable”
Criminal charges against nine people who were arrested during an Indigenous-led, pro-Palestine demonstration in Toronto last fall have been dropped.
The arrests occurred on Oct. 8, 2025, near the Global Affairs Canada office at Queen Street and University Avenue, where hundreds gathered to protest the Israeli kidnapping of Indigenous harm reduction worker and advocate Mskwaasin Agnew and others who were travelling on the Mediterranean Sea as part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition in an attempt to break Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza.
The demonstration had gone on for six hours, organizers say, when Toronto Police became “increasingly agitated,” and attempted to end the protest.
According to a statement shared by the Legal Support Committee (LSC) — a collective that supports people arrested in the Greater Toronto Area for organizing and protesting for the liberation of Palestine— the protest erupted into “chaos” when Inspector Israel Bernardo drove an unmarked vehicle into the crowd.
“Unaware that the vehicle was driven by a police officer, protesters rushed in front of the vehicle to protect attendees — at which point, Bernardo emerged from his vehicle, ordering officers to arrest people,” the statement reads. “Multiple people were tackled and beaten by police.” (more...)
Charges Dropped Against Nine Arrested at Pro-Palestine Protest
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