The permit for a festival celebrating Toronto's Eritrean community was revoked by the city Saturday after participants clashed with demonstrators in exchanges that sent at least nine people to the hospital.
"The City is working with the event organizers to address the impact this may have on festival attendees and activities. The City does not tolerate or condone violence of any kind," Baker said."Basically what they're telling us is that when you have a peaceful gathering, and somebody comes and hits you and injures nine people and threatens to hit and hurt and terrorize children and the elderly," Kyriakakos said. "He has the right and the power to stop an event.
Eritrea has been described by human rights groups as one of the world's most repressive countries. Since winning independence from Ethiopia three decades ago, the small Horn of Africa nation has been led by President Isaias Afwerki, who has never held an election. Millions of residents have fled the country to avoid conditions including forced military conscription.
Toronto paramedics treat a patient at the scene of a protest that turned violent in Earlscourt Park in Toronto on Saturday. Toronto police say one person was stabbed and eight others were injured during a protest in the city’s west end.Dozens of Toronto police officers responded to the chaos and remained at the scene for hours to maintain the peace.
On Saturday morning in Toronto, police said they first received reports of a person with a knife. Further tweets later indicated fights had broken out in the park and tents had been set on fire. By 5 p.m., protesters had blockaded the intersection of St. Clair Avenue West and Caledonia Park Road, bringing traffic and public transit in the area to a standstill. They parked a truck with a screen displaying videos, one of which read "cancel the festival of hate."Alem Hagos said the demonstrators were defending themselves.
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