TORONTO -- A groundbreaking ceremony for a new office building planned for Toronto's waterfront came to an abrupt end after a group of protesters showed up and demanded that Mayor John Tory take immediate action to protect tenants from eviction during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The province banned residential evictions at the outset of the pandemic in March but that prohibition is expected to come to an end once the provincial state of emergency expires later this month, causing some renters to worry that their landlords will quickly move to evict them over unpaid rent.
On Thursday Tory was delivering remarks at an event to mark the beginning of construction on a new sustainable building near Queen’s Quay and Parliament Street when dozens of protesters showed up and demanded that he use his emergency powers to implement a city-wide ban on residential evictions to replace the provincial order.
The protesters also demanded that Tory call on the provincial government to reverse the recently passed Bill 184, which they say could expedite the eviction process.
Initially, Tory told the protesters that he would be happy to speak with them once he concluded his remarks but after they continued to interrupt the event, things got tense.
First Tory told the protesters that he would not allow them to “decide on the timing of when we speak to things” when he had already agreed to answer their questions.
Then he accused the protesters of being the same group that attempted to force their way inside his Bloor Street condominium during another protest earlier this month.
Tory has previously said that he felt as though that demonstration crossed a line and left some of his neighbours “afraid” and “unnerved.”
“You are people that come and engage in violent activity in front of my home. Violent activity in front of my home. Alright here we go,” Tory said before abruptly walking off the stage without completing his remarks.
After Tory walked off the stage he went into a nearby building where he waited for a few minutes until a group of police officers arrived.
The officers then escorted him into an awaiting SUV while the protesters shouted out “schedule the meeting right now” and “you said you were willing to talk.”
