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The City of Toronto has revoked the park permit for a weekend Eritrean festival after a protest turned violent, leaving nine people with physical injuries.
The protest started up shortly before 10 a.m. on Saturday at Earlscourt Park, near Caledonia Road and St. Clair Avenue West. According to festivalgoers, a large crowd of people started gathering in the area and were chanting.
Video on social media shows several demonstrators in light blue t-shirts knocking over fences and tearing down tents and flags.
Toronto police said that one person was seriously injured as a result of a stab wound, while eight other people sustained non-life threatening injuries. Paramedics assessed an unspecified number of others at the scene.
Investigators estimated that about 200 people attended the protest. Officers from across the city came to the park to assist in “gaining control” of the area.
CTV News Toronto has reached out to police to determine if any charges have been laid.
Toronto Paramedics treat a patient at the scene of a protest that turned violent in Earlscourt Park in Toronto, on Saturday, August 5 2023. Toronto police say one person was stabbed and eight others were injured during a protest in the city’s west end. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey
The protest happened during Festival Eritrea Toronto, which was billed as a family-friendly cultural and sports affair being held over the long weekend.
Protesters told CTV News Toronto that events like the ones being held in Toronto raise money for the government of Eritrea, which human rights groups have said is repressive.
“All what we want is this event to stop these people to stop financing and supporting the Eritrean government, a protester named Dawit Demos said at the time.
Festivalgoers told CTV News Toronto on Saturday that while they understand why the group was protesting, the festival is not a political one.
“This is something where we are gathering as Eritreans, it has nothing to do with our political identity,” Rora Asgodom, a long-time attendee, said.
“We share different views but these people believe that anything that shows we are patriotic to our country or proud of where we come from means that we support that.”
Police attend the scene of a protest at a west-end Toronto park on Aug. 5, 2023. (Siobhan Morris)
Following the protest, the City of Toronto decided to cancel the park permit for the Eritrean Festival “in the interest of public safety.”
“The city is working with the event organizers to address the impact this may have on festival attendees and activities,” it said in a statement.
“The city does not tolerate or condone violence of any kind and is committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for all who use or visit city parks.”
The Coalition of Eritrean Canadian Communities and Organization (CECCO) has called the decision to cancel the park permit regrettable.
“This festival has been peaceful and family oriented for the past couple of decades,” a spokesperson said, adding that the CECCO warned police about a potentially violent protest ahead of the event. “What’s changed is that a violent extremist group was allowed to threaten and disrupt our festivities. The group that threatened the festival believed that if enough violence was perpetrated against our community, authorities would have no choice but to cancel the event.”
“The City of Toronto’s decision rubber stamps this strategy and emboldens the agitators to reoffend.”
The festival is expected to continue on Sunday with a cultural show and concert at a separate location.
Violent protests of Eritrea-themed festivals are occurring worldwide, with an event in Germany weeks ago resulting in 22 police officers being injured.
In Stockholm on Aug. 3, thousands of protesters set booths and vehicles ablaze, injuring at least 52 people.
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