Anti-vaccine protesters gather outside Toronto General Hospital as part of nationwide action
A group of anti-vaccine protesters gathered outside one of Toronto's busiest hospitals Monday after being warned not to harass or obstruct health-care workers.
An organization that calls themselves the Canadian Frontline Nurses orchestrated protests against vaccine certificates in all 10 provinces, including outside Toronto General Hospital.
Organizers said they wanted to take a stand against what they called "tyrannical measures and government overreach."
On Monday, Toronto Mayor John Tory said police would be "keeping a very close eye on these demonstrations" to ensure they don't obstruct any hospital operations.
Police said officers remained at the hospital to "remind the crowd of expected behaviour." There were no reports of any hospital staff or patients being obstructed, police said in a tweet published Monday evening. As well, there were no reports of arrests or injuries related to the demonstration.
Tory said earlier on Monday he supported the police in "taking whatever action is necessary" to protect people seeking medical care and health-care workers.
"I just find it completely unacceptable," Tory said. "It's just inconceivable that anyone could be that irresponsible or that misdirected."
Premier Doug Ford also voiced his opinion about the protests, calling them "selfish, cowardly and reckless."
"Our health-care workers have sacrificed so much to keep us all safe during this pandemic," Ford tweeted Sunday. "They don't deserve this kind of treatment — not now, not ever. Leave our health care workers alone."
Meanwhile, The Ontario Nurses’ Association (RNAO) and the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) issued a joint statement on Sunday calling for “safe zones” to be designated around hospitals.
"We respect democracy and the rights of people to protest but these must not be held anywhere where they block entry and exit to health-care facilities," the statement said. "The RNAO and OMA also say charges must be pressed against anyone engaging in harassment, aggression or hate speech, if these protests take place."
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath has also called for safe zones to be declared around hospitals.
"Cancer patients and exhausted health care heroes deserve to be protected from harassment,” Horwath tweeted Monday. "My safety zone bill would make this targeted intimidation a provincial offence."
Ontario’s vaccine certificate program is set to launch on Sept. 22.
With files from The Canadian Press.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
Ellen DeGeneres addresses the 'hurtful' end of her talk show in new stand-up set
Ellen DeGeneres is reflecting on how her talk show came to an end in her newest Netflix special, 'Ellen's Last Stand ... Up Tour.'
What to pack during an emergency
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.
LIVE UPDATES Star witness returning to the stand for more testimony at Trump's at hush money trial
Donald Trump’s fixer-turned-foe returns to the witness stand Tuesday for a bruising round of questioning from the former president’s lawyers.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Regulated area for invasive box tree moth expanded to parts of the Maritimes
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has added much of the Maritimes to a regulated area for an invasive species.
Already expensive, planning for fertility treatment difficult as costs vary widely
Being unable to have a child naturally can be extremely difficult. But when you factor in the high costs of fertility treatments, the range of individual circumstances and the fact that the industry itself is secretive about fees, it can make the whole ordeal even more devastating and hard to plan for.
A healthy lifestyle can mitigate genetic risk for early death by 62%, study suggests
Even if your genetics put you at greater risk for early death, a healthy lifestyle could help you significantly combat it, according to a new study.