A man wanted for allegedly assaulting an officer at a downtown protest over the weekend has surrendered, Toronto police say.
The incident happened in the area of Gerrard and Parliament streets, at around 5:20 p.m. during a pro-Palestinian rally on Saturday.
Officers said the suspect had attended the demonstration and allegedly assaulted an officer before fleeing the area.
On Wednesday, 34-year-old Kyle Orzech turned himself into police. The Mississauga resident has been charged with assaulting a peace officer. The charge has not been tested in court.
Orzech is the fourth individual to be charged in connection with the demonstration.
While police were seizing a truck during the rally, officers alleged several people intervened and “became aggressive and assaultive” toward them.
Police also alleged that one woman threw horse manure at officers while another “intentionally used a flagpole to ‘spear’ at an officer.”
Videos of the demonstration were disseminated on social media, where officers can be seen using force. The use of force drew concerns from protesters and led to the organizers calling for an “independent civilian investigation” into what they allege was police brutality.
“In the last two weeks, we have seen dramatic escalations and violence at the hands of the Toronto Police Service,” Dalia Awwad, a member of the Palestinian Youth Movement Toronto, told reporters at a news conference Monday morning.
“These escalations are in attempt to criminalize and intimidate pro-Palestinian protesters off the streets.”
With files from CP24’s Codi Wilson
