Toronto demonstrations: Police to provide update
Toronto police are expected to provide an update today on the presence of police at demonstrations in the city.
In a news release, police said that Deputy Chief Lauren Pogue will provide an update at TPS headquarters at 1 p.m.
The update comes after clashes between police and demonstrators at a lengthy pro-Palestinian protest downtown last weekend.
Police previously said that protesters "became aggressive and assaultive" toward officers after they moved to seize a truck where occupants were standing in the bed.
Police said one woman threw horse manure at officers and another “intentionally used a flagpole to ‘spear’ at an officer.”
Three people were charged following the protest. Another man turned himself in Wednesday after a suspect photo was released by police. He's been charged with assaulting an officer.
Police are still trying to identify another woman who allegedly struck a police horse with a flag pole.
Video from the protest posted to social media showed police officers pushing protesters while trying to control the crowd.
Protest groups have alleged "police brutality" and said they have seen "dramatic escalations and violence at the hands of the Toronto Police Service."
They are calling for an independent investigation into police handling of the protest.
Toronto has seen regular weekly protests around the Israel-Hamas war for months.
As of Jan. 26, policing the 300+ demonstrations around the war has cost the city $7.5 million, police previously said.
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