Several dozen protesters broke off from a G20 anniversary rally held at Queen's Park on Saturday afternoon to peacefully protest through the streets of downtown Toronto.
Chanting and holding up signs, the group was followed by police officers as they marched toward the intersection of Queen Street West and Spadina Avenue, where a brief sit-in disrupted traffic and diverted TTC streetcars.
The intersection was the location where police used the kettling tactic to prevent protestors and civilians from leaving the area. Toronto police have said it would be the last time they would use the tactic.
The group grew to about 200 hundred people as demonstrators later moved east along Queen Street West and north along Bay Street until they reached Toronto police headquarters at 40 College St., between Bay and Yonge Streets. A peaceful protest in front of the building ended at about 7 p.m. on Saturday evening.
Four hundred attend rally
About 400 demonstrators showed up at Queen's Park earlier in the afternoon on Saturday for a rally that remembered the mayhem of the controversial G20 weekend last summer.
Some demonstrators held up signs with slogans such as "Canada is not a police state" and "Public inquiry now," demanding a public inquiry into the actions of police.
Others recalled their personal experiences during the summit. Protester John Pruyn said he was humiliated when police ripped off his his prosthetic leg and took his possessions when he was arrested at the summit.
"The police (still) have my two walking sticks and my leg," said Pruyn.
Groups such as the Ontario Federation of Labour and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association joined residents to demand the resignation of Toronto police chief Bill Blair.
The location of Saturday's rally was particularly significant, said Sid Ryan, president of the Ontario Federation of Labour.
"Queen's Park was supposed to be a designated peaceful protest zone. Instead it was anything but," said Ryan.
In a police report released earlier this week, Blair admitted police weren't prepared for the aggressive protesters who damaged police cars and businesses during the G20 weekend.
In response, demonstrators chanted, "Hey hey, ho ho, Bill Blair has to go."
Ryan also called for Blair to identify the police officers who allegedly beat up protesters. More than 1,100 were arrested or detained during the G20 summits, with most of them released without being charged.
Thirty-nine protesters reported injuries during the arrests, while 97 police officers reported being hurt.
With files from The Canadian Press and CTV Toronto's Michelle Dube.
