A judge has dismissed Ontario’s bid to block an Al-Quds Day protest planned for Saturday afternoon in Toronto.
Lawyers representing the province were in court, asking a judge to block the demonstration after Premier Doug Ford he condemned the demonstration as “hateful”.
But less than an hour before the protest was scheduled to begin, Justice Robert Centa ruled the province did not meet the legal test required to prevent the protest from going ahead.
“The application for an interim interlocutory injunction is dismissed,” he ruled, adding there was insufficient evidence that the protest would lead to significant criminal activity or that police could not maintain the peace.
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“The right to assemble and speak freely must be maintained in times of global conflict,” Centa added.
Al-Quds Day is described by organizers as an annual demonstration showing support for Palestinians. The Toronto event is also expected to include calls for “no war in Iran and Lebanon,” according to social media posts promoting the rally.
Stephen Ellis, legal counsel for the Al-Quds Day demonstration, said the rally is meant to give participants a chance to speak out against war in the Middle East.
“This day is very, very important. Right now the Middle East is on fire, in Iran, in Lebanon, in Palestine, so being able to express ourselves against war is really important,” Ellis said.
He added that organizers believe the protest is an opportunity for people to voice their opinion to ongoing conflicts in the region.
Police have closed several streets in downtown Toronto Saturday as people start to gather for the protest.
– With files from The Canadian Press
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