Two men are facing charges after a school resource officer broke up an alleged robbery attempt in front of his school.

Police say Thursday's incident left the officer with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

At about 11:30 a.m. on that day, the officer approached six men outside Dante Alighieri Academy, which is on Playfair Avenue southwest of the Lawrence Avenue West and Dufferin Street intersection, the Toronto Police Service said Friday in a news release.

Police allege the six were there to rob someone.

"When the officer tried to apprehend them, one of the suspects attacked the officer," it said. "Additional officers arrived and two of the suspects were arrested. One other officer sustained minor injuries during the arrest."

The school officer had his shoulder epaulette torn off and dropped his expandable baton. Students helped by retrieving his equipment, it said.

Two men are facing charges. Roman Fraser, 21, of Toronto, has been charged with:

• assault with intent to resist arrest
• assaulting a police officer
• fail to comply with probation

Rajeshkumar Patel, 18, of Toronto has been charged with:

• assault with intent to resist arrest
• assaulting a police officer

They had an initial court appearance scheduled for Friday.

The incident outside the academy came on the same day that some students of Northern Secondary School held a rally to protest having a school resource officer at their school.

That protest came following an Oct. 7 incident in which the officer arrested a student who refused to produce identification or otherwise co-operate. He also reportedly called the officer "Bacon."