3 arrested at Avenue Road bridge following ban on demonstrations

Toronto police say they have arrested and removed three people from the Avenue Road bridge, where demonstrations are prohibited.

On Saturday afternoon, officers announced the arrests on X, formerly Twitter, with a reminder that: “Demos or congregation of individuals on the bridge are not permitted.”

According to police, the three individuals went to the overpass and alledgedly attempted to participate in a demonstration.

"They were given the opportunity by police to leave the bridge and refused," police allege in a news release issued Saturday evening. As a result, they were taken into custody. Police said the overpass remained opened while the arrests were being made.

The individuals were identified as 33-year-old Cyrus Reynolds of Newmarket, 36-year-old Hesham Aly of Toronto and 26-year-old Ali Nasser of Mississauga. Police said Reynolds was charged with mischief while the other two were charged with obstructing a peace officer.

On Thursday, Toronto police issued a ban on further protests at the Avenue Road bridge, overlooking Highway 401, due to the escalation of demonstrations and say they "now pose a public safety threat that has left many in the surrounding Jewish community feeling intimidated.”

Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said people who demonstrate or congregate on the overpass “can expect to be arrested if necessary.”

Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, on Oct. 7, until Jan. 10, officers said they have arrested 54 people and laid 117 charges related to hate crime occurrences. Of those charges, 28 were mischief-related, 22 were assault, and 17 were related to uttering threats.

In 2023, Toronto police said there were a total of 132 reported antisemitic hate crimes, which is double the amount compared to 2022. There were also 35 reported anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab hate crimes last year, police said, nearly triple the amount reported in 2022.