Canada First rally in Toronto met with counterprotests, arrests made

Conflict arose at a Canada First rally in Toronto on Saturday, as hundreds of attendees and counter-protesters gathered at Christie Pits Park.

The rally, organized by the  group Canada First, was intended to oppose “mass immigration.” A social media post from the group called for “true Canadian patriots to stand together,” adding, “Our country is changing fast and not for the better. If we don’t fight for what we have, we will lose it.”

Organizer Joe Anidjar told Radio-Canada the demonstration was about “putting Canadian people first, putting our country first.” He added, "At the end of the day, when you allow millions of people from other countries around the world, it puts strain on our resources," he added.

One attendee, a Malaysian-Chinese immigrant, said he felt welcome at the rally despite how it was being portrayed.

"There's a huge sign saying white supremacy. I'm not even white. I spoke to a lot of white people here and they were super welcoming to me," he said. "If you for whatever reason are somebody who wants to protect your country or fight for the rights of the people, you're somehow some kind of supremacist, which makes no sense. The two don't equate."

Hundreds of counter-protesters also gathered at the park, opposing the Canada First rally. According to the CBC, Deena Ladd, executive director of the Workers’ Action Centre, accused rallygoers of unfairly blaming immigrants for societal problems.

Toronto police arrested a total of 10 people in connection with the demonstrations amid clashes between the two groups.