Toronto residents are taking a stand against the string of sexual assaults that have plagued the Annex community this summer.
A rally is planned in the Bloor Street and Christie Street area, where many of the attacks have taken place, on Monday night from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Participants will gather at Christie Pitts Park before marching through the neighbourhood.
A Facebook event called “Action against Recent Sexual Assaults” shows nearly 300 people are planning to attend the event.
Ten women have come forward to police to report similar sexual assaults in the Annex and Kensington Market neighbourhoods in July and August.
“They are similar in nature. The females were walking alone. They were approached from behind, and they were attacked,” said Det. Const. Phillip Campbell during a press conference on Wednesday.
The four most recent assaults occurred between Aug. 16 and Aug. 28, according to police.
Campbell said police are concerned that the violence in the area could escalate, and they are appealing to the public to come forward with any information.
“We’re always concerned that this is going to escalate,” he said. “We want to protect the public. We want to protect the females in the area and that’s why we’re here today.”
Police have added extra officers to the area, Campbell said, which includes both uniformed and plain-clothes officers.
The suspect in all the cases is described as a black male, between 17 and 35 years of age and between 5’7” and 5’9” tall.
