Toronto police have arrested two men in connection with a December pro-Palestinian protest at the downtown Eaton Centre mall.
Police say the two Toronto men, aged 19 and 34, are both facing charges of unlawful assembly, mischief to interfere with property and assaulting a peace officer.
The teen is also facing a charge of uttering threats and unlawful assembly while masked.
Police have previously said they were investigating a Dec. 17 protest in front of Zara at the mall.
Police allege the two men blocked a store entrance and then pushed security while trying to get into the store, before one of them made "verbal threats" toward a person in the mall.
They allege one man pushed a police officer and the other hit an officer with an umbrella.
The charges come as Toronto police crackdown on some pro-Palestinian protests in the city.
Chief Myron Demkiw recently announced a ban on the protests at the Avenue Road and Highway 401 overpass, citing the safety of drivers on the highway. He also said many, particularly members of the Jewish community, were feeling unsafe given ongoing protests and a spike in hate crimes against Jews and Muslims.
At the time, Demkiw said officers would increasingly be "applying a criminal lens" when policing protests.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 21, 2024.
The Canadian Press
