Toronto Police, OPP make separate arrests near Avenue Rd. overpass

Kevin Connor
Published Jan 14, 2024  •  1 minute read
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The bridge at Avenue Rd. and Hwy. 401.
The bridge at Avenue Rd. and Hwy. 401 is seen in Toronto on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. The bridge has been the site of multiple pro-Palestinian rallies over the last few weeks. Photo by Chris Young /THE CANADIAN PRESS

Three people were arrested for allegedly attending a demonstration on the Avenue Rd. and Hwy. 401 overpass on Saturday afternoon.

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Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw announced on Thursday that demonstrating on the overpass will not be permitted and those who do will be arrested and removed.

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  1. Toronto Police ultimately arrested several pro-Palestinian protesters who defied repeated orders to leave the Avenue Rd. bridge over Hwy. 401 on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024.
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  2. A woman shouts pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel slogans on a megaphone during a rally during a rally to express support to Palestinian people in downtown Zagreb, on January 13, 2024. Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which left about 1,140 dead in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures, and saw 250 hostages dragged back into Gaza, sparked the war which is still raging in the besieged Gaza Strip. After almost 100 days of war, at least 23,357 people have been killed in Gaza, the majority of them women and children, according to the Hamas health ministry.
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Police reiterated that warning Sunday on the social-media site X, saying that they will be at demonstrations to “ensure public safety, manage crowds, and direct traffic.

“This includes ensuring that hospitals, emergency routes, and other critical infrastructure remain accessible,” police said in a Sunday morning post.

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Police said the demonstrators who were arrested on Saturday were asked to leave, but they allegedly refused.

Cyrus Reynolds, 33, of Newmarket was charged with mischief, while Hesham Aly, 36, of Toronto and Ali Nasser, 26, of Mississauga were charged with obstructing a peace officer.

Anyone with information is asked to call the police at 416-808-3300 or Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS (8477).

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Toronto OPP also arrested three other people in the same area after they received reports of an armed person in a vehicle.

On Saturday evening, police responded to a report of an armed person in a vehicle in the Avenue-401 area, where pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been taking place. OPP have not said if there was any connection between their arrests and the demonstrations.

Three people in the vehicle were arrested and held for a bail hearing. The charges included firearm offences, failing to comply with probation, flight from police and dangerous operation.

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